Affectionately Yours
by BrokenxIdentity
Summary: Bella is now married to Edward and Jacob is left stranded, abandoned, and lost. He finds himself staring over the dark waves of the ocean and imagines his death. When he heard her voice, Jacob Ephraim Black never knew he would love anyone more. Jacob x OC
1. Chapter 1

First story ever, anybody? I'm gonna confess to a huge amount of bullsfly in that I've never read these books. I'm just in it for Taylor Lautner's fantastic abs. Hah. xoxo. Just kidding.

I really haven't read the book, but I do rather like the character. In any case, writing this is neither intended as a work of art or any serious fancrush fiction. It's just for the sake of fluff and I wanted a character to put in place of it all and since Jacob Black fits in there.. why not? He's young, he's hot, and he's.. muscular. My god, those fantastic abs. Someone tell me they agree with me.

Anyways, here it goes:

**Disclaimer: **Really... nothing's mine except Ruby, the protagonist you will meet later in this story.

So shut yer worryin' and enjoy the damn story.

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**Affectionately Yours**

The silky appearance of white passed his eyes and Jacob did not even bother to look up. He was too tired of everything and too dead to feel anymore pain from being where he was. Bella smiled widely and beautifully, but not at him. Edward returned the gesture from where he stood, full of happiness in her face as Charles walked his daughter down the aisle. It was truly a happy day indeed, but not for Jacob.

Seated at the back row, he watched as the woman he loved walked out of his life and forever into the arms of another man, a Cullen, no less. The family has accumulated their share of wealth, but they did not stop there, at least not until they pushed the Native Americans into a dead end. The Quilette Reservations housed the few number of Native Americans who were simply too stubborn to leave and Jacob Ephraim Black was one of them.

The fact that the Cullen family was a bunch bloodsuckers did not help the feud between them at all, but civilized interaction was a necessity for those shape shifters who were Bella's friends. After their marriage, Bella and Edward would leave. When Jacob heard the news, he thought he would jump in joy if it didn't mean that the love of his life would be leaving as well. Then again, he found that he never really knew the meaning of joy and at this rate, probably never will. Carlisle seemed to be the most civilized of them all, but appearances were deceiving. After all, he was the prime instigator of the whole affair. The vampire had learned about the power of money early on in life, which had been centuries before now.

He had, time after time, used his money and power to keep the Native Americans off vampire land, no doubt allowing passing vampires to feed off innocents. Jacob never trusted the treaty enacted between the two opposing sides anyways, who knew what dirty secrets lay beneath everything that had happened?

He wondered if Bella wanted him to stand up and object when the priest voiced the famous lines, but he didn't. His knees were too weak to even stand and it had taken him everything not to let the tears flow down his face. Leah, who sat next to him, gripped his shoulder reassuringly, to which he merely smiled before leaving the chapel. He couldn't stand to see them kiss, not like the last time they had. The lips he had once touched with his own were dirtied by another man, and Jacob would never let that happen if Bella didn't love Edward so much.

He let out a scream when he slammed the door shut on his truck. The Native American gripped tightly at his black hair and growled as he slammed his fist against the steering wheel. When he finally regained his cool, all he could think about was driving away. To where? He didn't know. Anywhere, but here. His truck sped through the road leading to his land, but Jacob hadn't actually planned on going home. The seventeen-year-old rested his head for a second before leaving his truck, allowing his feet to step onto the soft grass of the forest that would lead to the meadows overlooking the cliff.

Jacob didn't really plan on dying, but he was damn tempted to give it a try. Many times his friends have taken on the brave (or stupid) task of feeling the thrill that would come when one comes diving towards the ocean, but he never thought of trying. Now he couldn't think of why he hadn't done so when Bella first told him that she would marry Edward. He had loved her so much. He gave her his heart, his soul, his loyalty, and this was what she gave him: nothing. The waves crashing into the stones looked so... chaotic, but at the same time, they seem to be calling him. He wanted to be swallowed up by the dark sea so that he didn't have to worry about anything else.

Love, it hurt so much for the first time that he didn't want to try again. Would he love another as much as he loved that pale, clumsy girl? Would he be able to forget her? To stop thinking about her? His heart rammed against his chest as he took a shaky step forward and closer to his death. The violent winds blew against his dress shirt, now pulled out of his pants and unkempt. He didn't remember a time when he wanted to eat ever since he heard the news. He felt so weak that-

"WAIT!" Jacob's head jerked back towards the forest, charcoal eyes meeting with that of chocolate brown. The voice sounded so sweet to his ears, as though he has been waiting to hear it for his entire life. "DON'T JUMP!"

His heart stopped as he took in the sight in front of him. The olive complexion against the midnight blue sleeves of her blouse. Her ebony curls unraveled before him as she ran as fast as she could towards him in heels and slacks. The world around him disappeared and for that moment, he could almost feel the earth spinning, his breath leaving his body, another second ticking by, closer to death, closer to life. He forgot about everything and thought of nothing. The pain disappeared as if that dark part of his past had been snipped away by a pair of scissors.

_Time to start anew, Jacob Ephraim Black. _

He felt lighter, as though he were floating on some type of cloud. Some type of euphoria filled his chest, drowning him in some strange emotion that he had never felt before, not even with... her. The mere thought brought him crashing back to reality as it hit him fully. His feet were not touching the ground and behind him, he could hear the sound of the crashing waves grow louder. Jacob snapped his eyes tightly shut, waiting for it to come. Before his death, he heard himself asking:

_Could I ever love her as much as I did Bella?_

The answer was no. Even though he didn't know her name, his soul mate, Jacob didn't think he could love anyone so much that his love for Bella paled in comparison.

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I don't usually say this because it seems to add a lot of pressure on the reader to review or something, but it would be nice to hear some feedback.

1. Did I go horribly wrong on some grammatical rule?

2. Is it simply terrible as a storyline? Is anyone confused?

3. What did you like about it? What are you looking forward to?

Kindly answer if you would, but I won't bite ya if ya didn't.


	2. Chapter 2

:) I got three reviews? Wut? Wow, you guys are awesome! Haha, this chapter is short, but I suppose it's what everyone's wanting to read: Jacob falling in love. Kinda. x] In any case, thank you thank you thank you for the reviews. :) I appreciate it and y'all don't know how much this means to me.

Disclaimer: Jacob's not mine. :P Twilight isn't mine either.

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**Affectionately Yours**

Jacob allowed himself to be swallowed up by the sea, his muscles relaxing as soon as they hit the water. Seconds after he was completely submerged, the chill took hold of his body, shocking his entire system. He froze, unable to think, unable to figure out what to do. He lost control of his body the moment his arms started flailing, but he was going nowhere. His mouth flew open and water rushed down his throat, suffocating him with its salty harshness. A hand latched onto his arm and his eyes snapped open, seeing strands of black and wisps of blue swim past his eyes.

The seventeen-year-old was suddenly pulled towards the bright surface, towards the sun, and out of the water where he gasped for air to fill his lungs once more. One arm hooked itself under his arm, petite but firm, and his back came in contact with a smaller chest. Jacob couldn't find the words he wanted to say and he didn't think he had enough strength to let them leave his lips. When his feet touched the soft grounds of sand beneath water, he shook, feeling heavier and heavier as her stride in the water grew weaker.

He gathered up his strength, trying to push himself along the shores until they finally stopped. Jacob exhaled heavily before realizing that he had been laying against her chest. Her body was small, but her arms snaked around his shoulders in some feeble attempt to keep him warm when in reality, he was sure that she was the one who should be warmed. Breathlessly, she asked, "Hey, y-you. Are you okay?"

His breath suddenly hitched in his throat when the situation finally sunk in. He suddenly remembered why he was there in the first place and shame washed over him. Her ebony curls were locks of black clumped together and matted against her wrinkled forehead. Her chocolate brown eyes gazed at him with only concern while drops of water slid down her cheeks. The midnight blue which had once been the color of her shirt now looked navy and littered with sand and sea water. He didn't know why he couldn't answer, but he thought she was the most beautiful creature in the world.

When the truth dawned on him, he blanched, jerking out of her arms immediately. He stood up, eyes directed towards the ground and unable to meet hers as she stood up, once again bombarding questions about his well-being. Without a second thought, he darted off. Back to his truck, back to his home, back to his room, and into his bathroom where he looked at himself in the mirror. Charcoal eyes were staring back and wet strands partly matted on his face and still defying gravity. He couldn't believe how much his life had changed in mere seconds.

He had just imprinted on a stranger.

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Alright, I know it's a short chapter.. but here it comes:

1. What is your first impression of her?

2. Do you think it's too soon for him to fall for someone else?

3. What do you think of Jacob jumping/falling into the water?

:)


	3. Chapter 3

D: No reviews? Was it that bad, guys? I know it's Jacob with a new girl. Surely it can't be that bad if he's falling in love again!

Well, I'll let y'all go now since I have an exam in... two hours. Sigh. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I hope I don't have to do this so many times?

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Being a freelance journalist fresh out of high school was hard enough, but now that her boss had sent her to the middle of nowhere, Washington without any sort of funds whatsoever, she was pissed. Some story about two families being in the feud of the century. New York Times had called the wealthy family the bloodsuckers because of their ability to suck the wealth out of everything, along with some rare illness that made it necessary for them to drink blood. She cringed at the thought. Even if it was just a myth, she hated the thought of being in the middle of nowhere without any protection, but she was desperate.

With her funds going down the drain, she took the story that no one else would take—a supposed career suicide because of the so-called supernatural elements. Aside from the bloodsuckers, the other family came from a long line of shamans, supposedly inheriting the powers of the wolves to heal and whatnot. Ruby rolled her eyes at the thought, not believing that she was really here. As her brother had voiced it, she was _that_ desperate. After she crashed the Cullen wedding, she left. There was really nothing there and she didn't want to bother interviewing and ruining anyone's mood on a good day. So she settled for an interview at Quilette reservations... after her nap at the meadows.

The noise awoke her. Sounds of footsteps rushing through the blades of grass caused her to sit up. Ruby looked around for signs of intruder, wondering if she would finally have to apply the skills she had learned in self-defense class.

She didn't really plan on swimming today, but obviously, plans have changed ever since a man in a white dress shirt stomped past the meadow towards the cliff overlooking the sea. Despite the sight, there was nothing normal about standing anywhere near an edge of a cliff, especially if the expression on the person's face was as sad and angry as that man. She followed him quickly and the moment she saw his body sway against the wind, it all clicked into place.

She should have left him alone to die. But when it happened, all she knew was to jump in after him, and as soon as her body recovered from the shock of the cold water, she began fumbling for this stranger. He didn't seem at all reluctant to lay still while she pulled him back and neither was he resisting her efforts. When she touched his hand, Ruby wanted to jerk back immediately from the heat emitting from his skin, but it had warmed her at the same time. The brief period of time that he had relaxed in her arms when they hit shore allowed her to breathe, but when he suddenly sprinted off, she was befuddled.

Who the hell was that guy? Committing suicide and then running off? Ruby lingered around the shores for a few more minutes to make sure he didn't decide to run back up the cliff and jump down again, but after a while, the fabric of her blouse was freezing against her skin and she could stand it no longer. Frustrated, she went back to her bike and started back towards the room which she was renting.

The quaint little hotel at which she was staying was in the middle of town. Forks was a quiet place, and it was strange to her that it had even caught the eye of her boss, who was on the other side of the country. Then again, it was the only one she could choose and at the moment, she needed to do all the brown-nosing she could do before getting the sack. Hopefully this story would make her avoid it. There had to be something juicy here.

She should just quit the job and went to college, she knew. That way, her brother would have paid for her fees and she would have gotten out of NYU with a degree. Now she was practically homeless and scraping for pennies because of the recent conflict she found herself in with the editor at the newspaper company.

She sighed at her predicament, resting her eyes for a while before she fell into deep sleep. Somewhere on the Quilette reservations, a wolf's howl echoed through the night.

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Hm.. input?

1.) I guess this is the real first impression since you're looking at it from her point of view (kinda?) now. So, what do you think of her?

2.) Do you think she will be compatible with Jacob?

3.) Is she too Mary Sue in any way? If so, what?

Thanks guys! R+R!


	4. Chapter 4

How long has it been? Did y'all miss me? :]

Disclaimer: Not mine. I'm just here chilling with some tea.

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"Jacob? Where have you been all this time?" Billy gaped as his son entered the kitchen in the most weary manner. "I've been looking for you all this time and you didn't pick up your phone."

"It's broken," Jacob answered dully. The boy looked different, but the misery was still evident on his face. Sleep was absent in his eyes and the lack of smile upon his son's face made him seem hollow and dead. Billy took a step back. The last time he truly paid attention to the way the boy looked, he was fawning over the girl who had just hurt him.

Billy nodded his head at the plate of food on the table, ham and eggs. The humble breakfast brought the two men to the table every morning before they would go their separate ways. One to school, the other to work. When the sun began to fall, that was when they reunited again for dinner. Being a single dad was always stressful, but Jacob was a unique boy. Ever since they arrived home from the hospital, it seemed like he did everything to make Billy feel that he wasn't a burden, but Billy would never make him leave.

Their life started over again the day the boy started smiling again, living life until she came into town. Isabella Swan seemed to be the reason why he smile, for a while anyways, until he found out that she was associated with the Cullens. All of the irony in the world could not compare to how cruel fate has been for the past few months. Billy has never seen tears fall from the boy's face until now.

Billy Black didn't know what else to say to his son about what had happened. He felt that he should have prepared the boy for a heartbreak since his mother wasn't around to do so, but it never came around until now, and when it did, he had no idea what to say. He could see it from the beginning that his son didn't have a chance with the girl, though it wouldn't have made any difference no matter how much the boy was warned. Jacob stuck with her throughout all of it.

"Son, you know you can talk to me if you need to," Billy choked, finding it hard to say the words. The two men living in the same house never felt that kind of need to communicate. The silent peace between the two had been broken ever since the day the girl stepped into the house.

"Dad, I think I imprinted on her..." Jacob's eyes were staring out the window towards some invisible person at some distance. There was a strange emotion in those espresso orbs that held some resemblance to affection and bitterness. Affection towards this person he had imprinted on and bitterness at the timing of it all, it would seem.

Billy's blood ran cold at the confession. Had that happened when Jacob disappear from the church? Why so quickly and suddenly when the boy was just going through this situation with Bella? Billy couldn't think of anyone from the tribe that the boy could have imprinted on other than Leah, but that would never work. Slowly, he found himself asking: "Who is it?"

"I-I don't know," Jacob bowed his head in shame while shaking it, "I don't know her name or who she is..."

Billy wasn't a shapeshifter like his son was, who was actually a natural as soon as he came to realize his power, so he didn't know how to sympathize. The power to heal and find one's soul mate had skipped him because he had no need for it during the time when he was supposed to have transformed. Billy eyed the pack tattoo on his son's arm before grimacing, "Jacob, tell me everything that happened."

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1. Holy crap. It's so expected, right? What's the surprise on the meter?

2. How do ya like Jacob so far? Too OOC? Too.. weird?

R+R!


	5. Chapter 5

You will probably notice that I'm back. :)

This chapter is a long one, I know, but I think you all will like it quite well. x]

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Ruby wanted to kill something when the phone rang, playing Mozart's Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. For once, she wished that the man had not been such a genius, for he wouldn't have been able to produce the annoying song which the person whose calls it was assigned to would not wake her up while she was trying to sleep. Slamming a pillow over her head in a desperate attempt to cover her ears, she mused, maybe if she ignored it, it would go straight to voicemail. Who in their right mind would be calling at this time in the morning? When it rang yet again, her hand reached out to snatch it before it returned to its hiding place under the blanket. Curtly, she answered, "What do you want?"

"Is that how you greet people nowadays? Especially the people who have news for you?" Ruby cringed at the Manhattan accent on the other line, "Baby I would have thought you didn't have any mama to teach you manners. Want me to go to my boyfriend and cry?"

"Douglas!" she rolled her eyes, shifting her body to feel a bit more comfortable, "What's up? What time is it anyways? Are you at work?"

"Ten o'clock in the morning," he answered briskly, peeking over his cubicle to wave at his boss who walked into his office. Douglas was always the early bird when it came to going into the office. Even though he was lazy, he always liked getting the first cup of coffee, "And don't give me shit about it being three or four timezones over. I know you and your lazy ass must be lost in Washington without me. Don't you miss me?"

"Of course," she chuckled, changing hands, "What's the news?"

"Bella Swan. Edward Cullen. Jacob Black. Better look them over. They're the reason for the latest drama. Edward Cullen's daddy was the descendent of Paul Cullen, the one who started the movement to push the Native Americans onto their reservations today." Ruby blinked and Douglas continued speaking, "Anyway, apparently there has been some stirrups between the two families ever since Swan girl and Edward Cullen got married and Jacob Black was the third wheel hanging around.

"And you wouldn't believe that these people are just high schoolers. I don't know how the hell they manage to stir up so much trouble, but believe it, girl, they did..." Douglas seemed to hesitate, but on Ruby's insistence, he said, "And you heard about the supernatural shit, right?"

"Tell me more," she urged. She was wide awake now that this story just became worth investigating. Maybe she could even get a promotion after this.

Douglas sensed her desperation. He was always a good friend to her, and actually, he was the first one who talked to her and befriended her as soon as she came into the office. Ruby could remember the first day she walked into the building after waking up late in her shabby apartment. She walked in wearing jeans and a t-shirt with some orange juice stain. When lunch came, her stomach growled, but the girl continued to peruse the newspaper articles until he walked by. He stopped, staring at her before bluntly stating that she looked like shit before dragging her to lunch.

The man was barely five years older than her and he knew that had he not been gay, he'd probably be on her tail twenty-four hours and seven days a week. The girl was a keeper, he decided, when she stood up for him when a conservative politician snapped at him for his sexual orientation. Sighing, he chuckled, "Damn, Ruby, I don't know what you'd do without me."

"Probably die or something," she grinned. "Now spill."

"Anyway, the Cullens are rumored to be vampires, but you and I both know they're probably one of those sick families who need blood or something. Then there are those Native Americans. I don't know what shit they have going on in their house but my aunt was talking about them worshiping wolves and shit.

"Some dude name Sam got some pack going around pretending like they're shapeshifters and stuff. Not that there are any sightings, that's why I believe she's effing with me, but you know. Just so you know ahead of time and don't freak out or anything."

"Some rumor was flying around about Jacob imprinting Bella or something. That was why he was super in love with her and crap. I wonder what happened to that dude," he murmured. Even with all this stuff, he couldn't make himself believe it even if it came from his aunt. Aunt Tally was the most honest person he knew while he was growing up.

Ruby was wide awake now and halfway through his narration, she had written down everything he said before and what he was saying at the moment. The story seems to get more and more convoluted. Why did the Cullens want the Native Americans off their lands? What feud could possibly cause such dramatic actions? On the other hand, why didn't they leave? Pride seemed to be the easiest answer, but there were only a few Native Americans left on the land and the conflict still seemed to be flaming.

Not to mention, there was something about the supernatural stuff. Her boss's brief opinion about it didn't add as much insight as what Douglas had just told her and for some reason she could not discount it. Before hopping onto the plane, she read articles about mysterious deaths. Reports about poisonous bats, or vampires, killing people and sucking them dry. At some point, farmers were calling strikes because some of their cattles have disappeared and some mornings later found rotting at the top of a tree. If cows could climb trees, then that made Forks a more interesting town.

Why hasn't anyone else researched this story? It was so interesting that had anyone with prose and a talent for news got a hold of it, they would probably be richer than... anyone else in the world, at least that was what she hoped.

"Hey Ruby, still awake?" Douglas's voice grumbled. He obviously told her this news in exchange for some kind of service. That was their general policy of trading information. An ear for an ear, Ruby mused. She got him information if he would listen to her rant about her brother and she would do the same when he would rant about his boyfriends. "If you're just going to ignore me after all the trouble I went through to get you this news, then I'm going to-"

"Love you too, Douglas," she laughed. She was never going to get tired of being his friend, "Anyway, how did you find out so much? Actually, how is it that you know more than me when I'm actually in the town. I went through tons of articles and couldn't even find that much."

Douglas laughed, "Well, I know people who knows people. My aunt went there some summers ago and got caught up in the drama somehow. I have no idea what the hell she was doing in that town but she was telling me all about it, though she didn't know all the details. But whatever, you can sort out the facts and see what's good about it."

"Yea, alright," she nodded despite him not seeing. The man called her virtually everyday to keep her spirits up, now that he was exchanging information, the least she could do was listen to him. "How's Marcus, by the way?"

"He's been in a shitty mood these days," Douglas growled. Marcus, the rising young star in the marketing industry, was one of Ruby's best friends in high school, at least until he went off to college. While he still stayed friends with her, they weren't as close after she decided against enrolling in NYU. Douglas had the hots for him as soon as they met and Ruby didn't doubt that the man felt the same as well. Douglas continued, "I think he has a chick stowed away somewhere."

"What?" Ruby felt bad instantly, having been the one to set them up in the first place, in a way. Marcus was drunk at a party and all Ruby could think of was call the first person that crossed her mind, the man who invited her to lunch. Only later when Douglas picked up Marcus's phone did she realize what was going on between them, "Gosh, I'm sorry, Douglas. I wish it weren't true... Maybe you guy should chat it out or something."

"Well, I'm cornering him with some liquor this weekend and see what he spills," Douglas shrugged. As always, her best friend had a solution to everything. "Whatever, I don't know anything else. I did everything I can to save your ass. Do your best, girl. I still want to see you sitting in your cubicle when you come back to New York."

"Alright, honey, I'll talk to you later," Ruby laughed before hanging up.

She frowned, looking down at her notes. She'd have to confirm these later and see what was good and what wasn't. Maybe she'd go speak to some locals... or do some research. When she glanced at the clock again, she didn't see the point of going back to sleep. The sun would be rising any minute anyways. An hour later, she was sitting in front of a library, checking the articles that seemed to have turned up out of nowhere. Bella Swan and Edward Cullen have recently gotten married, the very day she arrived into town and left for North Dakota for a honeymoon.

"Damnit," she growled, "Just my luck."

There were no indications as to when they would be back, so she was left with interviewing her family members... and as for the Black family, both of them were still in town. The two sisters have moved out of town since their mother's death and the two men were left to live on their own on the reservation with other Quilettes. When she got their address, she set off on her bike again toward the reservation.

When she rode past the bridge, she thought of the man she had saved that day. She wondered if he went back to jump and was partially tempted to go down to the beach to look again, but she couldn't afford to get her clothes wet again. The nice pair of clothes she brought was still drying in her hotel room because she was stupid enough to listen to her brother about leaving her car at home. New Yorkers don't drive cars, he would scoff and then provokingly suggest that if she really needed it, he would lend her his car. As a result, she walked onto that plane without her car keys. Now she was biking miles after miles a day on a bike she was renting. Wearing t-shirts and jeans were the least of her worries when there was her job on the line.

When she arrived to the house, she inhaled deeply before pressing the doorbell. No one seemed to answer for a while, but when they did, Ruby jumped. Out of nowhere, a voice asked: "May I help you?"

The man didn't look anything like Native Americans. He was so Caucasian that Ruby thought all her teachers have lied to her during history class. Instead of saying anything, she merely blinked before looking down at the sheet of paper and towards the mailbox again, trying to make sure she had the address correctly. "Um... Billy Black?"

"That'll be me." A man rolled out from behind on his wheelchair. Now this was not anything close to what she expected from the man who occupied a spot on the Chief Council of the Quilette tribe. She swallowed, unable to take her eyes off his wheelchair due to the mere curiosity of what had put him there in the first place. When he cleared his throat, she found herself dying of embarrassment and wishing that she had researched on the family more than the drama. "What can I do for you today?"

Straightening up immediately, she introduced herself, "Ruby Fair. I'm from the New York Times... but I see that I am interrupting something... so if I could come back another day-"

"No, come in," Billy nodded toward the white man, "Charles, do you mind?"

"Charles Swan," he introduced himself. Ruby took a sharp breath when she finally realized who he was. His daughter just married into one of the richest families in Forks. A curve broke the thin line on Charles' lips and suddenly she caught herself staring again. Flustered, she stuck her hand out politely and waited until he firmly took it. "Chief of Police."

"Ms. Swan's, oh, um, Mrs. Cullen's wedding was just the other day, wasn't it?" The very same day she arrived in Forks... the one she crashed before she met... him. Charles nodded slowly, the grim look returning to his face reminded her of her behavior. Maybe this was why she didn't have such a stable job at the New York Times. "My apologies, I didn't mean to be so forward."

Charles, according to some of the articles, voiced his opinion about the wealthy young man and how while he felt that his daughter could have better, he didn't have a choice in the matter. Lose his daughter or gain a son-in-law. Charles brushed it off by announcing that he had to leave early for work and before she knew it, she was standing alone in the room with Billy Black.

"Well, let us drop the pretenses and get on to why you're here today," he said, rotating his wheels so that he would be heading towards the kitchen. His voice reverberated from the kitchen and even from there, she could tell that Billy Black was a man who talked business and didn't like to dillydally. "Do you take your coffee black?"

"I... um, I don't drink coffee," she murmured. Ruby exhaled, mustering up her strength to ask the questions; interviews have always been her weakness, Douglas had once told her. "Mr. Black, the reason why I'm here today is to uncover the facts behind the family feud and keep track of the trial for the month that I am here..."

"The feud," he laughed at the mere mention of the idea. His laughter held no mirth and was full of bitterness. Even the younger generations have grown tired of fighting, she mused as he continued, "and I suppose you want my side of the story."

"Of course," she responded bluntly, "As well as Jacob's."

She briefly wondered if Jacob Black looked anything like Billy Black. High cheekbones, russet skin tone, like father, like son, perhaps. At the mention of his son, a painful look flashed across his face before he replied coldly, "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that the last thing that Jacob should be reminded of right now is the Cullen family. He has gone through a lot during the past few months."

Ruby frowned, "I see... but perhaps you could talk about your side-"

"Ms. Fair, I apologize but the last thing this family needs is a journalist snooping around in a town that is not even her territory. Please leave," he stated curtly.

The nineteen-year-old blinked, unsure about the last time she had experienced such rudeness. It was not her place, she knew, and the man was only trying to protect his son. She should at least be understanding. Standing up quickly, she bowed slightly, perhaps out of old habits, and apologized profusely, "I'm sorry for my rudeness, Mr. Black. I will leave now."

The soft mist of rain had already started and Ruby could only hope that it doesn't get any heavier during her twelve-mile biking to town. The silence was overwhelming and so awkward that one would only be able to cut the tension with a sword. The creaking of Billy's wheelchair indicated that he had already went into the kitchen after her declaration to leave. As the journalist started towards the door with a heart of disappointment, she did not hear the heavy footsteps behind her.

"Wait." The deep sonorous voice turned her head and her eyes widened when she saw who it was. She could only stand there, stunned, while Billy wheeled into the living room once more with wide eyes like her own and an expression of surprise. A look of comprehension finally cross his eyes when he saw the way Jacob's dark eyes bore into Ruby's. "I'll talk to her."

Without another word, Jacob started down the hallway once more towards his room. She followed slowly, eying his actions and wondering whether or not they were results of that day. The water had been cold and the air didn't make it any better despite that it was summer. Jacob's movements were lethargic and heavy. The tired facial expression made her almost guilty to ask for the interview. She only wished that she wasn't so desperate to stabilize her source of income.

Only when the door clicked shut did she exclaim, "You're-You're that guy!"

Ruby wanted to slap herself right then and there when Jacob's eyes closed painfully. He looked away from her and slowly sat down on his bed. At the nod of his head, she followed his eyes towards the small chair at the corner of the room. She sat down obediently, feeling like a jerk for what she had just said. Maybe she wasn't fit to be a journalist after all, but her thoughts disappeared when he asked, "What do you want?"

_An interview. _She had wanted to say, but considering who he was, it didn't seem like the right thing to do after meeting him again for the second time. She remained quiet, giving him a once-over before murmuring, "You're really seventeen?"

Jacob looked far too old to be seventeen years old. His muscles bulged under the slightly loose gray shirt he wore and she didn't doubt that she would like what was under those black sweats. It didn't help that he looked so pale and sickly. She had originally pictured him as a russet-toned person, but now that color just seemed tainted with white. Confusion flashed across his face and Ruby cursed inwardly again, disgusted at herself for checking out a jailbait, not that she hadn't recently been one herself. After introducing herself, again, she stated: "I... won't ask anything today, however, I just want to talk to you first before we get a real interview... you know, to be comfortable and whatnot."

His ears perked up at the words, "Talk about what?"

"Did you really..." Ruby frowned at the difficulty she found in saying those words. Somehow, she almost couldn't believe that someone so young could give up their life because of another person, "because of them?"

Her confirmation was his avoiding her eyes and once more another apology escaped her lips. Jacob answered sullenly, "I hadn't really planned on jumping..."

Lightning flashed across the sky before a loud boom shook the house. Rainy weather, great. A storm, she cursed inwardly, would be the last thing she would have accounted for before leaving her hotel room this morning. She stood up quickly, kind of relieved to be rid of the tension, even if only for a while. "Crap, my bike is outside. So much for biking back to town... hold on, I'll be right back."

"Wait-" Jacob didn't even finish what he was saying before the door closed. Before Ruby could take another step away from the door, a dull thud pierced through the thin walls. Quickly, she pushed the door open again to see him sprawled on the floor, struggling to breathe with a thin coat of sweat on his face.

"BILLY!" she screamed, immediately at his side to feel his forehead. She flinched, pulling back because it was just like boiling water. How was it possible for a person have this high of a body temperature? How was he still alive? "JACOB'S UNCONSCIOUS!"

She struggled to help him up on the bed, one arm around his torso while the other was pulling on his arm. He was having a fever, Ruby figured, finding how unfortunate she was to be on this end of the stick. Of all the times she had to pick for an interview, it had to be now when her interviewee was dying on her. At that time, Billy burst into the room, bellowing: "What the hell happened?"

Jacob's arm curled around her shoulder and at that moment, almost all of his weight had been leaning on her. Ruby tried to stand up, but he wouldn't let go. All she could do was sit there helplessly, feeling his hot sweat soak into her clothes. Jacob's body was hard against her own, and she could feel every muscle against his chest and on his arm—NO! She admonished herself for thinking such thoughts at such a time. When Billy came back into the room again, she took the towel and glass of water from him as well as the medicine tablet before tending to Jacob. He was still leaning against her, resting his cheek against her forehead. Ruby briefly wondered what he was thinking about right now, whether or not he was conscious. She hoped that he wasn't, best not mention that he was holding onto a stranger while he was having a fever; the boy would be mortified.

"Jacob, Jacob, let go..." she said softly, gently prying his arms off her shoulders. "You're going to be fine..." Incoherence left his lips when he tried to respond to her, his breath hot against her cheek. When she managed to get him to drink the water, he drank it greedily, as though he had been in a desert for his entire life. When he finally released her, Ruby moved aside for Billy to see his son. She couldn't believe that she almost forgot about the man's presence. Boy, what he must think of her now, barging into his house to ask for an interview without an appointment and now his son just collapsed after trying to talk to her.

Billy seemed to have other thoughts on his mind. He had been observing her while she was helping Jacob. It was her, he realized, the girl that Jacob was talking about. She was someone who was not from Forks, his son had told him, and he didn't know her name. Billy was going to try everything to keep his son's thoughts from wandering to this girl. When he saw her standing at his door, he knew that all hope flew out the window at the thought of his son staying with him any longer. No doubt she would bring the boy through another storm just as Bella had. Softly, he murmured, "You are her, aren't you?" She frowned in confusion and he elaborated, "You're the one who saved my son, didn't you?"

Grimly she nodded. She has never been in the situation where she had to talk to a parent of a child who had tried to commit suicide. What was she supposed to say? Taking another look at Jacob, who looked more peaceful than she had ever seen him, despite what a short time it has been, she started towards the front porch once more. Twenty minutes later, she had pulled the bike onto the front porch and was sitting on Billy's couch while Billy was in the kitchen making some food.

"I'm sorry for everything," she said as soon as he started to eat.

Billy didn't put down his fork and continued chewing until he was done. The man's presence was intimidating, Ruby thought, but she wasn't going to let that get between her and this interview. "Thank you," he responded, "It would have been difficult without you here. My son does not get sick easily."

"It's nothing at all," she responded. It must have been because of that, she wanted to say, it must have been because he tried to commit suicide, but she didn't. Instead, Ruby ate in silence until the thought ran around over and over in her mind. "That day that I met him... why didn't anyone know he was there?"

"We thought he was going home. That was what he told me," Billy explained, "Leah and Seth offered to come with him, but Jacob insisted that they didn't. I was looking for him all day and didn't find him until he came back at night."

Night, Ruby remembered. Glancing at her phone, she saw it was already six. "I should be getting home," she noted despite the rain pouring down outside. "I didn't expect the rain to be pouring down..."

"It rains unexpectedly in Washington," Billy replied, "I wouldn't go home now that it's raining. It's easy to catch a cold and no one really lives around here except for us. It's all wilderness here." Just like Paul Cullen intended, she added silently.

"Please," Ruby started, "Promise me you'll tell me about the feud someday." Billy looked slightly surprised. Ruby flushed and continued, "I don't want to use this incident as leverage, so feel free to refuse, but I would like to know, from a source closest to a primary one, how it all happened."

The older man thought it over. It was really no harm telling her what the public already knew, he mused, but everything else was so much more complicated. The world that wasn't intended to exist did exist. Ruby had no place in it, but when Billy remembered his son, he knew that she was a lost cause. Sooner or later, she would be sent into this whirlpool and it would be too late. Nodding, he simply stated, "Alright. If you'll stay until tomorrow, we can arrange a time for an interview."

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I know, I really didn't intend for him to be so sick, but I imagine that it would only be realistic that if he should be sick, he might as well be deathbed sick. I hope you all liked it!


	6. Chapter 6

Another chapter! I'm on a row! :)

Just kidding, I'm just asking for forgiveness by uploading another chapter right away.

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Jacob's mind surged when he heard her voice and his heart was thumping wildly against his chest when she introduced herself. _Ruby Fair. _So that was her name. To her, it has been a few days, but for him, it had been four days, two hours and sixteen minutes. His body felt so bloody heavy that when he tried to sit up, Jacob nearly collapsed again out of exhaustion. He wished he hadn't been so stupid as to starve himself for Bella, and now he was paying for it with his soul mate. His soul mate was about of walk out of his life and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.

Somehow he found himself struggling to stand up properly in the living room, mumbling incoherently that he would talk to her. Her eyes, surprised, turned to him and he wanted to melt under her gaze. He dragged his eyes away from her so he could turn around and walk back to his room. He didn't want to know what Billy's expression was regarding his eagerness to talk to Ruby. He also didn't want to stop, for as soon as he did, he was sure that the room would be bound to spin and he would lose yet another chance to be with her. The door closed quietly behind him after she walked into the room. A white t-shirt and jeans, so simple, yet she looked so pretty.

Her body was slim and the curves were still evident despite the billowing fabric of her shirt. Her curls were tucked away in a bun that he wanted to tug loose. Jacob laughed inwardly, not at the situation, but at himself. He couldn't believe that days ago, he had been heartbroken over Bella and in half a second, his heart turned one hundred and eighty degrees and his heart had leaped out of his chest and onto her hands. Did she know that, he wondered? Did she know that his heart belonged to her now and that she had every power to crush it?

He was at loss as to what to say now that they were finally alone. At least, he didn't know where to start. Should he tell her about his secret and how they were meant to be together? Should he tell her that a part of him was still in love with Bella no matter how much he tried to deny it? Ruby had barely known of his existence before that day, so the possibility that she would accept being together with him seemed like an impossibility.

Jacob stared at her intently, waiting for her eyes to connect with his. He hoped that from just that connection, maybe she would understand what he was feeling. Her mouth moved and the words that came out reminded him of his mistake that day. Shame filled him once more and Jacob didn't think it was possible to be so happy and sad at the same time. Being in the same room with her made him want to jump in joy if he hadn't felt so weak but she reminded him of that mistake in his life. The thunder crashed outside his window and she jumped.

"Crap, my bike is outside. So much for biking back to town..." she started to stand up and Jacob felt his heart leaving with her. He couldn't let her go, Jacob reminded himself. He had let Bella get away and now that his soul mate was here, he couldn't let her do the same. "Hold on, I'll be right back."

"Wait-" He stood up after her, reaching out to her. His vision swirled around him and changed into colorful blurs and the next thing he knew, the hard ground came into contact with his face and pain permeated throughout his body. Jacob suppressed a sigh of pain when he heard the door open again and her skin touch his.

In his dream, he didn't see Bella. The pale brown-haired girl had disappeared from his life altogether the moment she walked down that aisle. Jacob didn't believe that they could still be friends after what happened no matter what she tried to say to him. His heart was torn out of his chest and stomped on time and time again when it came to Bella and he didn't know why he was still coming back.

Jacob had been standing on the beach again, looking around the empty area for signs of... anything. The sun shone its dull light on the Quilette lands of Washington and the waves were a dark color, rushing into the shore as far in as they could get. He didn't know why he was there, or what he was looking for, but when he saw her, the answers came together.

The white dress hugged her body like silk and she was no different than an earthly goddess. She was a head shorter than him and many times smaller. Ruby sent him a soft smile before running into his arms. Jacob caught her promptly, relishing in the feel of her body against his as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Their lips connected into a kiss and something unfamiliar bloomed inside of his heart. Her hands went to his cheeks and slowly they pulled away for air. Chocolate brown against espresso. Olive against russet.

It had to be a dream. Reality could not be any sweeter.

Their lips touched again and a few seconds later, she pulled away. The expression on her face was that of utmost sorrow. Tears brimmed the edges of her eyes as she whispered the words "I'm sorry." Jacob, frozen, was unable to react. His arms loosened from around her waist as she stepped away from him and walked off. Then he saw it, distant and blurry, but no matter how blurry that monster was, he would still be able to recognize it anywhere.

Her back was turned towards him as Edward stood waiting for her, a smirk evident on his face. When Ruby intertwined her fingers with that of Edward's, she turned towards him once more, an apologetic look on his face. Jacob cried. He cried out because of the new imaginary scar his heart would take on. He cried out because he was still heartbroken and hurt. He cried out because he still wasn't over Bella. He cried out because he thought he had lost her.

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What did you guys think of this one? Kind of sad?


	7. Chapter 7

Hi darlings, hope you like this chapter!

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A roar of thunder woke her up. Ruby opened her eyes to complete darkness before a flash of lightning lit the room, the beams of the room and the curtains flying wildly against the window with the storm winds invading the house. After an awkward dinner with Billy, he insisted that she should stay the night because of the ongoing storm outside. She reluctantly agreed, but also offered to check up on Jacob from time to time at night. Oddly enough, Billy merely nodded before leaving Ruby alone in the living room with a blanket and pillow.

Occasionally she would walk into the room and feel his forehead, but it didn't seem like he was getting any better. His body temperature seemed feverish as usual and from time to time, Jacob would murmur dreamily in his sleep: I can't lose her, I can't lose her, I can't lose her. Sometimes she wondered whether or not he was talking about Bella at the time, but that thought made her only so much more curious about their relationship and the feud. How could one girl cause so much trouble? How could one girl disrupt something that has been laying dormant for so many years?

The next morning came as swiftly as the rain had ended. The sky was darkening by the time dawn hit her eyes. Ruby left a note, announcing her farewell and saying that she will be back sometime later when Jacob felt better. Billy was tempted to keep the phone number away from his son, but after what happened last night, he didn't feel like he had the right to. The girl was definitely Jacob's soul mate. If the boy couldn't reach her, he'd probably go out and search for her all over town. He had been up ever since three and when he heard Jacob's door clicked shut, he could only sigh.

Billy Black never thought that the handicap would finally get to him, that he would finally one day feel as useless as he really was. Ruby Fair, the girl from New York. Of all people, couldn't Jacob have picked someone...safer? The irony of it all was that she was here for information about something that could only hurt his son and that she was not from Forks. Billy couldn't allow her to be with him.. but what could he do?

Heavy footsteps stomped outside his door before it opened. The boy was leaning weakly against the frame as he was panting for breath. Billy has never seen Jacob so helpless before in his life. Jacob's dark stare bored into his as he murmured the question: "When did she leave?"

"Before I woke up," he lied. He had to keep her away from his son. His two daughters had already left him because of his wife's death, he couldn't lose his son to some girl who decided to waltz into Forks for a job promotion and break his heart.

A dark look passed his son's face, aging it even more than it had already done so. Jacob seemed to have aged years in a matter of months, at least because of what has been happening for the past few months with Bella and Edward. "Did she..."

Happiness or safety? He would ask himself, and wonder what his wife would tell him. Billy closed his eyes and imagined the word leaving her lips and knew that it was over. Billy sighed, handing him the note before murmuring, "Breakfast will be ready in ten."

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Sometimes I felt like this was a bit rushed, anyone else think so? Thinking of redoing this chapter or something like that.

In any case, I hope ya like it!


	8. Chapter 8

Like it or not? Let me know!

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Douglas hummed while filing his nails. He was still mad at his boyfriend and the best way to vent his feelings would be to phone Ruby and annoy the hell out of her before she woke up, but that was not so. A while ago, he only got to the voicemail and not even one ring. Poor Douglas started thinking that his best girl was ditching him. He felt bad for the kid, having spent only five months at the New York Times and everyone was still giving her a hard time.

Surely she had talent, be it due to her laziness that she didn't polish it, but there was no need to push the girl around and threaten to fire her. Just give her some paperwork, he had told Stephen when his friend confided the plan to him. Apparently, it was also due to her brother pulling strings. As if the man couldn't have gotten any richer, he could have at least dropped a few bucks on his sister's doorsteps and persuade her to go back to college. After all, if anyone was easy to influence, it was Ruby. She was only a hair above being a pushover if she wasn't always so determined to quench her own curiosity. Then again, Douglas mused, when it came to her brother, she'd probably walk to hell and back before listening to a word he said.

Once she was curious, people might as well be handing her the story on a platter because she wasn't letting anything go. He had always wanted to work on a story with her; note that the key word was with. There was no way Ruby would share her work with another person, especially since she believed that everything be done by herself. The stubborn little girl, Douglas chuckled. Gotta love her though. She bailed him out several times when he almost found himself waking up in bed with a man who was not Marcus. Douglas hummed another tune, staring at the phone and wondering when his best friend would call back. He, after, all, had more news. The Jacob kid had something dirty up his sleeves and it was involving the Bella girl.

"What?" he snapped when he finally picked up the ringing phone. When he heard the voice responding on the other line, Douglas fought back the urge to become straight again and be attracted to women. Then he thought about Ruby and the problems that would arise from being in a relationship with her and tossed the notion altogether. Douglas wished that the caller ID had been on drugs and displayed the wrong number. When the pleading began, he simply retorted, "Boy, you're just too late for that. I have work."

"Come on Douglas, I got dinner for us at home," Marcus pleaded. Dinner? Douglas raised an eyebrow, surely the man must be delirious. Marcus never brought home dinner and why the hell was he pleading? Did he do something wrong? No doubt he did. Well, there must be something interesting to this, Douglas hoped as he continued to listen, "Just get off early or something. Stephen doesn't mind, does he?"

"Of course he doesn't, but I'm not going to take advantage of my friends," he emphasized. Douglas hated hitting someone under the belt, but if the person was the son of a bitch boyfriend who disappeared on the night of their one-year anniversary, he was more than happy to oblige, "Unlike YOU."

"That's a low blow, man..." Marcus sighed over the phone, obviously not feeling the sting at all, but it was different for Douglas. The boy was playing his damsel-in-distress trick again. Well, it wasn't going to work, Douglas was the sensitive and considerate one in this relationship. "I thought you loved me."

Really? Douglas frowned, feeling that prick of conscience. Ruby must be rubbing off on him. Marcus must be trying to compensate for something he has done. What was going on here? "What? Feeling sensitive already?"

"Whatever man, I'll see you tonight," Marcus grumbled before hanging up.

Douglas growled. Another fight, great. Marcus probably has a chick with him or something. Their relationship had been perfect at the beginning, and now it was withering like a flower in the winter. Ruby had introduced the two because of the club she frequented at one point. There was a story about a murder there and while the two were trying to co-write a piece, and when she went to Marcus for some information, she also put in a good word for Douglas, considering the unsubtle way he blackmailed her into doing so. The next thing he knew, Douglas was waking up drunk in the guy's apartment and two weeks later, searching for a shirt in his closet.

He picked up the phone again. It was nighttime and the girl had no excuse for not picking up his calls. Maybe he'd give her a piece of his mind if she ever picked up. He waited again, listening to the ringing that had suddenly appeared. "Hello?" Douglas frowned, not recognizing the deep voice. He shuddered, goodness, if the man on the other line was in any way homosexual, he might have dropped Marcus immediately.

Wait! Marcus! The man whom Ruby introduced to him, wait! Ruby! The owner of this cellphone. Why was a man answering her phone? She would never do something like.. going to a club and leaving it somewhere.. Douglas shook his head, determined to get back into the situation at hand. Firmly, he demanded, "Who is this?"

"Are you looking for Ruby?" He sounded like some singer who was hidden from the crowd for years and was just waiting for the moment of discovery.

"Why else would I be calling? Last time I checked, this is her phone number," Douglas never growled before, but his first attempt wasn't so bad. The person on on the other line remained silent as he asked again, "And I ask again, who is this and why do you have her phone? Did something happen to her? Something better not happen to her. I can call the cops and track this phone and you-"

"She forgot it when she left this morning." Douglas rolled his eyes with diminishing embarrassment at his recent performance. This was so like Ruby, doing something that was not anything out of her character and causing him to worry like hell and embarrass himself. Then the person spoke again, "Do you know where she is staying in Forks? She only left her cell phone.. and seeing as she forgot it..."

Should he tell this guy, whoever he was? Douglas shook his head, feeling dumb that he even had to ask himself that. Sharply, he answered, "Why would I tell someone where my friend is staying when I don't even know who you are or how you came to have her phone? Did she really forget it or are you just saying that?"

A scoff and chuckle echoed after his response followed by the stranger's response, "Alright. Here it goes. My name is Jacob Black, I'm seventeen and apparently the reason why Ruby is here in Forks. She was here yesterday for an interview, but I had gotten a fever and she stayed the night when a thunderstorm rolled in. When I woke up this morning, she was already gone and had forgotten this here."

Jacob Black? Damn, the girl got to work. Grudgingly, Douglas told him the address to Ruby's hotel before reminding the teenager to tell her to call Douglas when she got her phone again because there was some new information that surfaced regarding what she was looking for. Ironically, Jacob was the last person Douglas wanted to pass the information to.

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What did you guys think of this one?


	9. Chapter 9

Been doing well, I hope?

I'm sure that this isn't at all ethical, but I know how many people actually read this, so I thought, hey.. maybe they can help me out! :P

http:/www .kliqo. com/events/24/u4709

Copy the link to the url bar and get rid of the spaces.. help me win the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 please! I've actually been trying to save up for this and still have been running up short on funds. As I'm sure that it's rather silly to ask people to donate some funds :P it would probably be more reasonable to get clicks. Thanks!

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The room was a wreck. Despite her denial, Ruby knew that her cellphone could not be found in the room. She asked the hotel to call her phone several times and even went through the trouble to search the muddy grounds and murky forest for any signs of her cellular device. As her brother would say, she was giving failure a piggy back ride and there was nothing she could do about it. The nineteen-year-old growled before tumbling on the bed, screaming into her pillow.

She has never been one for material needs, but her Blackberry held her entire life in it. Contact information, notes, documents, emails, etc. All of the things that one might even use to blackmail her could be found on there—she had a habit of taking pictures of the strange food she liked to eat. Two hours later, she rolled over in bed, feeling slightly groggy from that unexpected nap that had overcome her. Her room was still a mess and her cellphone was nowhere to be found.

When a knock caught her attention, she sat up immediately. Who could be visiting her at this hour when she had told no one where she was staying? Did Douglas decide to stalk her to Washington simply because he couldn't catch her to gossip? Or did her brother want to come around again in another feeble attempt to knock some senses into her? Ruby checked her appearance, despite that it didn't really matter. Jeans and t-shirts were timeless fashion; perhaps not trendy fashion, but it would do for now.

Her breath hitched in her throat when she opened the door for she was once again staring into the espresso eyes which belonged to Jacob Black. He was still slightly pale, but compared to yesterday, he looked many tones healthier. Her mouth opened when she saw his hair dripping with sweat and water, and when the teenager cleared his throat, she stopped. "Jacob? How did you find me?"

"Your friend called," he fished his pocket for the cellphone. Ruby's eyes widened when she saw the Blackberry emerge from said pockets, "Douglas. I asked him for the address and he said that you should call him when you get this back."

She couldn't contain herself. The happiness welled inside of her at the thought that she wouldn't have to go out and buy a new one, especially now that Jacob had found it, and she would have less of a chance of getting fired in case her boss was looking for her. The next thing she knew it, her arms were flying and her body followed closely after until she collapsed against his firm body with said arms around his neck. Jacob took on step back, pleasantly surprised, of course, with one arm hooked around her waist to stabilize himself. The two stood there in the silence that seemed to go on forever until from the corner of her eyes, she could see something move. Ruby blinked, meeting gaze with the kid who looked up at her and the man she was... hugging.

Suddenly the girl realized what she had just done. Eyes still wide, only this time in horror, she pulled away, swallowing and smiling as she took the phone from his hands. Ruby tried to ignore the child walking past with his mother as she muttered something to him in choppy Italian—at least it sounded choppy to her because she passed that class in high school with a B. Lord, what was she doing? Jumping onto the poor boy like he was some kind of pillow.

"Thanks," she murmured, blushing under her eyelashes. Gosh, she must have made a fool of herself in front of him, this seventeen-year-old jail bait. Why the hell did she have to feel like a teenager in front of him? Wait a minute, she WAS a teenager, "You have no idea how much this means to me."

"That seemed to be a pretty good indicator," he responded, chuckling at her mortified expression. "I'm glad that you're relieved. I was going to reach you, but then I realized that I didn't know where you were staying and well, the number you left was for this phone, so..."

"Sorry about that... I guess I shouldn't have forgotten about this. Well... thanks..." she said, awkwardly backing up into her room.

Jacob made an unreadable expression before returning the gesture. Ruby closed the door, leaning against it while her heart pounded healthily against her chest. Then she did something stupid again. Her hand twisted and pulled on the knob and her feet walked out, propelling her towards the departing Jacob and she called out, "Hey, do you want some coffee?"

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Those of you who clicked, thank you! If you didn't, no big. I hope you liked the story though! :D


	10. Chapter 10

I'm sooo ahead right now. :)

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He never knew that it took so much energy out of a person to be in love. It practically dwarfed his feelings for Bella, the way he felt when Douglas slowly read the address to her place. He didn't even need the man to repeat it since he knew exactly where the place was. It hadn't even helped when that pang of jealousy invaded his chest when he saw the caller ID. Then when she jumped out at him, Jacob fought the desire to engulf her into his arms as he did in his dreams.

Now he was standing in the middle of her hotel room, which seemed to be made a mess due to her search for the cellphone. He felt slightly guilty that he hadn't came sooner. She scrambled about, searching for a suitable sitting place. When she found one and pointed him to it, he obeyed, taking his seat on the chair next to her bed. The teenager fought the desire to inhale deeply. Her scent was literally flinging itself at him, beckoning him to-

"Should you really be out of bed right now?" Jacob hadn't heard her the first time, but he did submerge from his thoughts when her voice penetrated them. He looked up at her, puzzled, and hoping that she would repeat her question. "You still look kind of pale, Jacob."

"I feel fine," he answered gruffly. Truthfully, he wasn't fine at all. His body was getting hot again and he had hoped that somehow he would have gotten better thanks to this healing powers, but seemingly, that was not the case. He thought wryly, his father had often boasted about a shapeshifter's power to heal rapidly. It seemed like he was wrong.

She maneuvered past him with two cups that would soon be filled with coffee. Jacob resisted the temptation to stand up when she stumbled a little on the pile of clothes on the ground. He couldn't suppress the smile fighting its way to his lips. He had almost forgotten that she was only two years older than him and still very much a teenager. Her back was to him as she dug into her suitcase and Jacob allowed his eyes to trail down her ebony curls to her back until he reached her hips. His hand twitched, remembering that it had been holding her hips not ten minutes earlier and Jacob blushed, feeling the tortures of puberty come to him. Well this was certainly awkward. At least he was wearing jeans. Ruby chuckled, finally standing up and saying, "Can't live without my coffee. Sometimes it's thanks to these things that I can actually finish my articles. Cheap and useful, can you believe that?"

Jacob made a sound, feeling his body weaken in the process. Oh the irony of the situation, being aroused and weak, of all combination of health to be in, his body surely didn't know anything at all. Maybe he shouldn't have gotten out of bed today. A strangled reply came to his lips, "Orange juice is just as effective..."

"I never really found a liking toward citrus," she held up a cup, "So what are you? Black or lots of cream?"

Jacob breathed shakily, leaning back against the chair in an effort to relax. His shoulders felt tense and the pulsing ache in his legs was now reminding him that he shouldn't have ran that far or stayed in the same room as his soul mate. Ruby's voice became farther and farther away from him by the second and he didn't know what to do. Jacob blinked tiredly, inhaling the aroma of coffee into his nostrils and relaxed until he couldn't open his eyes anymore. The scent moved closer and closer until her voice became somewhat audible.

"Jacob? Jacob Black? Anyone home?" Amusement was dancing in her voice and Jacob didn't want her to lose it. He struggled for a response but when her hands touched his forehead, he shivered. Her fingers were like ice dancing on his skin. "You're having another fever! How did this happen?"

Ruby snaked her arms around his torso in an effort to hoist him up. Successfully she had done so with some difficulty. He was protesting weakly as she pulled him to the bed, but there was no way she was going to let him jog back to the reservations. Damnit, she cursed, this was the worst time to not have a car. Next time, she wouldn't try to challenge her brother into this kind of crap, surely the man knew how to press her buttons. Jacob let out another groan as his back hit the hard mattress. He murmured weakly in his sleep when she tried to pull away.

Jacob's arms snaked around her shoulders and before she knew it, Ruby was trapped. His body was radiating with heat and if she didn't know better, she would think that she was sweating. Her ears were pressed firmly against his chest, listening to his rapid heartbeats. It was comfortable, she had to admit, but now was not the time for comfort. She pulled away from him reluctantly and walked into the bathroom.

Jacob tossed and turned, looking for that small body he had engulfed into his arms earlier. What just happened? Where was Ruby? Did she really leave him? He panicked, not knowing what to do now. He had come here with the desire to talk to her, to make her a part of his life and never let her go, but here he was again, helpless to her leaving. If she left—He jumped, feeling something cold touch his lips. Glass. Water touched his tongue and he greedily leaned forward to swallow down the rest.

"Mr. Black?" Was she talking to him? "Yes, Jacob is here with me right now. I'm afraid he has another fever... I'm terribly sorry about this, I had no idea that he would be here... Alright." A pause. "I'd hate to bother Mr. Swan right now... It looks like it's raining outside again." Another pause. "I'll see to it that he comes back home to you as soon as possible."

He peeked to see her back turned towards him while sitting in the chair. Jacob felt slightly ashamed. Considering what he was, he shouldn't be sick this easily. He has never had this many colds and fevers in his life. She probably wouldn't be in the same room with him if he wasn't in this condition. How unfortunate.

"Jacob Black, you're making my job very hard by doing this..."

The dream always ended where it had and no matter how many times Jacob wished to wake up before it happened, he couldn't. His nightmare simply wouldn't end and each and every time he saw her walk away with Edward, Jacob would hear his heart shatter on the grainy sand floor. Was it possible to go through such tragedy over and over again and still breathe? He wasn't even sure whether or not he was breathing anymore. He pictured himself turning into a monster in an attempt to kill Cullen but in such attempts would always end in him hurting the one he loved.

What did he do to deserve such fate? It had been, after all, Bella who had forsaken him. She was the one who broke his heart, and Edward was the one who helped her stomp on it. Why did they get their happy ending... but not him? The sunlight was barely spilling into the room through the blinds, but Jacob Black could see very clearly that he was not home. The scent of her filled his nostril and it brought back the memories of yesterday.

His eyes fixed on her tiny form on the ground, sleeping cozily as if the hard carpeted ground was just as soft as a mattress, though compared to this particular mattress, there probably wasn't much of a difference. The thin blanket was barely draped over her waist and during the night, she must have kicked it up, revealing olive legs peeking out from shorts. A band of fabric fell down her shoulders, making Ruby look a lot more provocative than her Hello Kitty shirt intended. Jacob swallowed; there was no point waking her up. He should probably get home to Billy before he would get any more worried.

Even when common sense told him to go, the seventeen-year-old walked over to the girl two years his senior and knelt down, whispering her name softly to draw a soft sleepy moan from her lips. She turned over, blinking groggily as she did so. There was little to no resistance from her when he pulled her into his arms and picked her up quite easily. Jacob reluctantly let go when he placed her on the bed. When he drew back, his eyes bore into her form. If she were looking at him right now, she would be able to see how dilated his eyes were, how much he wanted her. This was his soul mate, the person he was going to be with for the rest of his life, and she didn't know it yet. I can't take advantage of her sleepiness. He shouldn't, he couldn't, he wouldn't.

But he did.

Her skin was baby smooth though her complexion was slightly scarred by what every teenager had gone through. Sculpted lips would not look any more beautiful than hers despite some of its chapped edges from the summer's heat. Jacob held his breath, reaching out shakily until the tips of his fingers touched her cheek. It was just as he had imagined, cupping her lips as he would kiss her senselessly. Except in reality, it seemed a kiss was more improbable regarding their current status towards each other.

Nonetheless, he leaned forward, pressing his lips to her forehead and when he pulled back, her eyes were slowly opening, slowly responding to that touch of warmth. I love you... Bella's face suddenly flashed across his face because of the memories that came with the declaration of his feelings.

"...Bella."

Her eyes were wide open. The room was silent, so silent that Jacob's heartbeat was literally pounding in his ears at the realization of the words that came out of his head. He had called her Bella. Jacob backed away, eyebrows furrowing when his thoughts started to collapse. Ruby sat up slowly, calling his name and asking about his well-being. He wished she hadn't. He wished that she would scream at him for calling her that or show any type of emotional response to it rather than asking whether or not he was doing fine.

"I'm sorry..." With that, he darted out of the door.

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	11. Chapter 11

Apologies to the delay. Thank you for telling me that I had put up the wrong chapter.

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"Babe, I thought I told the boy to tell you to call me as soon as you get this phone, or did he not tell you?" Douglas's voice roused her from her thoughts. Ruby looked at the phone, seeing that it has been going on for ten minutes. "Have you been listening to a word I said?"

"Ah... um..." she struggled for any type of recognition, "Marcus?"

"I haven't said a word. Boss called me into the office," he confessed. "Anyway, what was up with you and that Jacob boy?"

"Nothing, really." Well, she thought it was nothing. "He was sick when I first came over... and then when he gave me back my phone a few days ago, he fell into another fever..." Douglas waited for her to continue. Ruby always continued speaking after a long pause, especially if she had a secret to spill. "Hey Douggie." He hated it when she called him that.

"Girl, I'm warning you. Don't make me get my ass over there and get you." He chuckled. "I know you only get like this when you need me to zip my lips. Now spill."

"Well, as I've said," she started, "Don't tell anyone this..." Of course he wouldn't. Who would he tell? The boyfriend was probably cheating on him and most of the bimbos he worked with were... well, bimbos. "Jacob Black tried to commit suicide."

"Say what?"

"Remember the day I came into town? I crashed Bella and Edward's wedding for a while and then I didn't get a chance to interview them, so I was going to the reservations instead. Then I remembered seeing Jacob's name on the list, so I figured that he would still be there or something, so I decided to wait for a while before I check them out..." she narrated, "So I was chilling in the meadows... at least until he walked by and he was standing by the cliff when I caught up to him. When I called out to him, he jumped."

"Are you sure you didn't scare him into jumping?" he teased. It was still a good possibility, Douglas decided. With Ruby, anything might have happened outside the girl's good intentions. "Anyway, kiddo, this is big news. You don't even have to finish the story if you don't want to. Just publish this story about lover boy's problem and you're well on your way to tabloids." Of course, he knew she wouldn't do it.

"Douglas, I'm not going to ruin his life," she frowned. "I don't want tabloids, Douglas. This story is getting stranger and stranger. No one wants to talk about this feud. You'd think that if someone were to come to this town and ask about the Native American's side of the story, they would be eager to tell the world of the Cullen's injustice, but no one wants to say a word. Even Billy Black was reluctant to give me an interview."

Douglas raised another eyebrow. She has a pretty good potential to this interview thing... "So you got one from him?"

"Not really," she murmured, "I've secured one. But I had to leave in a hurry this morning because I stunk and I told him I would be back for the interview. Then I couldn't find my phone and... here we are."

"Ah," Douglas mouthed, nodding at Stephen who stared at him with a peculiar look. Personal phone calls at the work place was a no-no, but who gave a damn? These two were best friends and well, bedfellows as well if Stephen ever got drunk. The boy never recovered from waking up with that kind of view. Hah. Douglas held up a finger and turned his chair around, "What about the other people, babe?"

"Well, I got one with Dr. Cullen and his two sons," she said, "I'm heading there tomorrow to check them out... or at least, whenever this rain clears up." Ruby glanced outside as she said so. It has been pouring the day after Jacob left and it didn't seem like it was going to let up soon. Either she had to find a good day to ride her bike up there or rent a car.

Sighing inwardly, Ruby brushed her hair back behind her ears. Renting a car sounded like a good idea, but she was flat broke. Her funds were reserved for renting the hotel—at least for the next month and she was running out of money for food. The plane ticket back was already on the budget... basically, given the expenses she already calculated for, Ruby could not afford to spend money. No way in hell was she going to call her brother for cash. Her pride had to be stomped, ripped, and spit on if that were to happen at all.

Should she tell Douglas about what happened? She didn't have a problem trusting him, but she wasn't sure if it was the right information to spill at this time... she could have misinterpreted what he was trying to say. Instead of thinking it over, Ruby allowed the words to leave her lips. She had to tell someone. "Something weird happened the other day... with Jacob."

"Girl, you do realize that he's jail bait, right?" Ruby WOULD somehow get involved with someone younger than her, Douglas chuckled. Not that he could blame her anyways, she had barely graduated from high school for a year.

"Of course! Douglas!" she whined, feigning mock indignation, "You know I wouldn't do that kind of stuff... besides, he's the main subject of this story, I wouldn't get involved with him in... you know, that way."

"Of course you wouldn't," he agreed gravely, unable to hide the sing-song tone in his voice, "Now spill. I promise I won't tell a soul. Not even that rat bastard Marcus."

Ruby frowned, hearing the way Marcus was addressed. "Marcus? Did something happen? Douglas, are you guys okay? You know you can talk to me if you need to, right? You're my best friend and you know, if you want me to say something to Marcus or talk to him or-"

"I know, I know, babe, you're avoiding the subject right now. What's this weird thing that happened with Jacob the other day?" Douglas asked.

"Well, you know how you gave him my address so he could give me back my phone?" Ruby twirled a lock of hair, waiting for Douglas to offer his confirmation. When he did, she continued, "Anyway, after he dropped off the phone, I asked him if he wanted to have some coffee. While I was making the coffee, he fell into a fever and I let him sleep over at my place for one night."

"Uh huh?" Douglas nodded into the phone, completely ignoring Stephen by now, who seemed to have a crossed look on his face. When the man opened his mouth to say something, the journalist held up a finger and mouthed, "Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Well, when I started waking up, he had carried me to bed and just when I woke up, he had kissed me on the forehead and called me Bella!" she finished. Well, this was certainly juicy, even for him.

"Damn, it doesn't look like you'll be getting that interview any time soon," Douglas stated the utmost obvious. Ruby rolled her eyes. "Girl, I'd help you out but I'm on the other side of the country."

No, bestie! Don't do that! Ruby pouted as she let out a whimper, "I don't know what to do anymore, Douglas. I mean, I've looked at all the newspaper in town and there wasn't much more I can learn about the feud. The stories are incredibly biased because of the people writing it. Obviously everyone from Forks would color the Cullens a nice family because they had done them a favor in keeping the Indians away, but it's kind of hard to get this story around if I don't know what the victims, if they ARE victims, are feeling."

"You mean you don't know what to do about the boy or the interview?" Douglas smirked, waving at Stephen after he stuck up his middle finger and left the cubicle. "You do realize I just pissed Stephen off for you."

"Both." Grinning into the phone, Ruby snickered, "Oh yea? How so?"

"Ignored him for ten minutes while talking to you, and Ruby, you don't mean..." Well, this wasn't good. Even though she had told him earlier that she wouldn't-

"I don't know anymore, Douglas."

* * *

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	12. Chapter 12

Treat for you guys!

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The rain took more than a day to clear up. It has been a week ever since she came to Forks and Ruby still didn't have a solid lead on the story. Her boss hadn't even checked up on her yet, no doubt it was another point against her when Douglas decided to piss him off. Ruby looked at herself again after dressing. The midnight blue blouse wasn't as silky as it had been when she first bought it for this trip, all because of that little swim she took. Ruby admonished herself for not at least taking it off when she dived in after the boy. Maybe she should make Jacob pay her back for her shirt.

When her stomach growled, she shuddered. She hasn't eaten ever since yesterday afternoon and she was running late. Maybe she shouldn't eat today, she decided, at least that would save her a few change in her pockets. She could... eat after or during her trip to the Cullens... maybe. Ruby stared at the muddy bike and her own attire. Slacks and the blouse and a muddy bike. An inward groan, a miserable thought, and suddenly it seemed like the day couldn't get any worse.

When she arrived to the mansion, the nineteen-year-old was suddenly very self conscious. Who knew that the word mansion actually meant castle? The Victorian style mansion didn't seem to have a place for her rented bicycle. Dr. Cullen greeted her at the entrance of the gate and to her surprise, he didn't look a day over the age of twenty-four. The man smiled pleasantly at her, pearly whites against the pale complexion couldn't make it any creepier. He looked almost sickly if his smiles weren't so... alive. He was almost like a painting coming to life.

"Dr. Cullen, it's nice to finally meet you," she greeted softly, pulling her bike along, "You'll have to excuse this bike... someone had effectively convinced me to travel without a car."

"And I, you, Ms. Fair," he nodded, "Please, allow me to take the bike inside. Esme is out of town visiting our relative at the moment, so I'm afraid it will be just my children and I. I hope you don't mind."

"My goodness, not at all," she flushed, unable to respond to such politeness. "I'm more than happy that you've given up some of your time for this interview."

"How do you like Forks so far?" he asked, "Some weather we're having, huh? It hasn't rained this much during the summer in a while. I guess you're in luck." He grinned almost ominously.

The moment she stepped into the house, she felt less than adequate as a human being in front of the others. The two males who looked much taller than their father, not to mention not much younger, smiled at her. They both wore dress shirts and slacks, only differing in color and hairstyle. Jasper Hale, she noted when her eyes landed on him. Blond wavy hair much like his adoptive father, but only longer. At his pale complexion as well as his brother's, she wondered if it were hereditary and her mind briefly wandered to the supernatural elements that Douglas had mentioned.

She returned his smile and turned her eyes to return the other male's smile. Emmett Cullen had strong resemblances to his brother, Edward, as far as she could tell from the pictures. Despite his close-shaved hair, he had that jaw and smile that would have rendered them identical if it weren't for his larger muscular stature. My goodness, how was it possible that Bella was only smitten with Edward and not with all the other male in Forks? Especially these Cullens?

"My wife Alice is unable to come down today, due to her sickness," Jasper announced with a host smile, "Emmett, would you be kind as to go get our guest some water?"

Water would be great, she wanted to cheer, but instead, she said, "Oh, no, that is really kind of you but I don't really need..."

Jasper quirked an eyebrow before nodding to his brother and showing her to the sofa. She was small yet oddly firm. There was something about her that reminded him of Bella. Jasper allowed a soft inhale and instantly remembered just how much she reminded him of Bella. "Very well then, father, would you like to start?"

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Unfortunately school is starting soon. I will try my best to continue updating at a timely speed. :)


	13. Chapter 13

Sam sniffed the air ominously. Someone new was in town and he didn't like the smell of her at all. The rain had finally cleared up and his sense of smell was no longer messed up. The first day he was able to get time off, and he woke up with a bad feeling. Ever since Jacob left his pack and Bella got married, he has been haunted by some overwhelming feeling of ambush... as if something bad was going to happen and it would be out of his control.

He scratched his head, feeling irritated by the musky remainder of yesterday's storm. Sam never liked the rain when it was this heavy. It was just gloomy and made him want to stay instead. He nearly jumped in surprise when an arm draped itself over his bare chest. He grinned at her soft skin coming into contact with his before laying back down, "Emily..."

"And where do you think you're going?" she asked, planting a kiss on his jaw before placing her cheek against his heart. Sam smiled at the way the light softly graced her skin when the covers fell due to her moving, "Seth went to talk to Jacob yesterday about leaving the pack and apparently something else happened..."

"Yea?" he murmured. She was so beautiful and calm. His hand trailed over the skin tissue on her face and she sighed. If it were anyone else, she would have been conscious about the reminder of what happened in the past. She was his mate, his imprint, and nothing could possibly keep them apart.

"Apparently Jacob imprinted on someone," she announced. The news made him strangely amused, since at times, he was pretty sure the boy would try to imprint on Bella even if it killed him. "...from out of town."

Sam froze. It couldn't be... oh the irony, "Really?"

"That's what I said," she hummed, sighing softly. "Some journalist from New York investigating on the story that's been going around for years."

"The feud, you mean," Sam was growing tenser and tenser by the second.

The war had ended and most, if not all, of the vampires are rid of save the Cullens who agreed that they would abide by their treaty as long as the shapeshifters abide by theirs. Just when everything was going to be buried again, some stranger was going around and snooping it up. Not to mention, Jacob Black was going to be soul mates with her! The peace was finally here and Sam would rather die before he allowed it to be destroyed again.

"Yea," Emily replied. "She came over to Billy's house the other day to interview Jacob, but she ended up taking care of him because he was sick. Can you believe that? I've never seen Jacob sick in my life and this time, he's bedridden."

He furrowed his eyebrows, this was news to him too. "Have you visited him?"

"I told him to come over today," she said and Sam held his breath for the answer, "He said he will." Seeing that there wasn't going to be any more intimacy that morning, Emily smiled and sighed, slipping out of bed. "Well, I should be getting breakfast ready for the boys..."

Twenty minutes later, Sam came down to the dining room, drowning in the scent of bacon, eggs, and pancakes. She seemed to be in a good mood today, he mused, no doubt because Jacob found a mate already. Next thing he knew, Embry and Seth will be running into their house announcing the same thing. His lips curved upwards at their scent coming closer and closer. Jacob was missing among the three of them; it was expected, Sam mused. The conflict between the two of them had driven Jacob out of the pack and he wasn't surprised if Jacob would have avoided him forever. Just as he sat down by the breakfast table, the boys came through the door.

He anticipated hearing their voices complain about Jacob not coming over, but instead what he felt was fear imprinted upon their scent and upon their faces as they broke through the door. Emily stopped what she was doing immediately, seeing what brought about their troubled expressions. Jacob was missing among them and he knew what they were going to say. "Boys, what's happening?"

The youngest of them all managed to gather enough breath to say what was on all of their minds. Seth swallowed before announcing, "Newborns, Cullen land. There's a group of them heading there because of the journalist."

This was what Sam feared most; the color drained from his face. Their peace was coming to an end. Sam stood up, feeling the blood inside of him boil out of both anger and fear as Seth continued, "Jacob's going there to save her."


	14. Chapter 14

"Miss Fair-"

"Ruby," she cut him off, "There's no need for that kind of formalities. To be honest, Dr. Cullen, I've graduated from high school last year and frankly, formalities make me feel a tad old."

"Well, call me Carlisle then," he insisted. "What would you like to know today?"

"Correct me if any of this is wrong... but according to what I've researched, Paul Cullen has been using much of his money to keep the Quilette Indians off of this land... and so this begs the question: Why? What is so special about this land?"

"Naturally, the age old conflict comes into this question... I'm afraid I cannot speak for my great ancestors as to their decision, but I fear that the most probable answer was that of prejudice. I've read countless of entries in my great ancestor's journals in which he confessed his deepest feelings about these so-called... heathens." A chill shot up her spine at the word.

She was almost afraid to ask the question, but she had to. Gripping her pen tightly with her recorder, she allowed the words to leave her lips, "And... do you share these feelings?"

Brief distaste filtered through his face before he answered abruptly, "Of course not... but I'm afraid that it has been too long before this mansion has been passed down to me, otherwise, I would have made peace a long time ago. I'm afraid, at this point, it is not we Cullens who are keen of conflict, but those living on the reservations harboring bitter feelings."

Ruby pondered for a second, looking at the numbers changing on her recorder's screen before asking: "Perhaps you can tell me more about this movement of your great ancestor's?"

"Paul hit a gold mine in California," Carlisle grinned, "The money that he brought with him up north was enough to last him several generations, thus I saw no point for him to make any money off of anything else but the town. If you went through the town, you'll see that most of the stores there were landmarks owned by our great ancestor, at least, until the Great Depression."

"When he had to sell most of his property?" Something else happened during that time, she knew. Something worst, from the looks of it. Several people were killed due to the feud that seemed to have almost nothing to do with them. "What did the Quiette Indians have to do with it?"

His face adopted a grim expression. "They were the ones who burned most of his property and killed him. Everyone in town back then was witness to it. If the story was passed on, it was done so orally. For a while, our land was taken over until my great grandfather came back."

"Your great grandfather took the land back?" Ruby jotted this down for effect, not believing her ears. "The Quilette Indians must have outnumbered him. I heard there were many tribes living on the reservations back then."

"That is true, but he had led the townspeople in a mutiny against them and they were driven back to their land. We had contemplated on kicking them out for good," Carlisle allowed a bitter grin to dance on his lips, "But such was not possible."

Then the idea returned to her, as if it hadn't left her thoughts in the first place. "But now... the feud cannot be solved by a peaceful truce of words?"

"Dear Ruby, if only it were that simple-"

"Because of Bella." All heads turned in his direction. This was the first time Ruby had heard Emmett speak. His lips curled up in an unreadable smile. "Edward and Bella."

Carlisle threw a sharp glance his way, effectively silencing him before he said, "Yes... I suppose the story is so recent that it hasn't been passed around."

"Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, right? They were the ones who were getting married?" Ruby noted, not really wanting to let slip the fact that she had crashed the wedding the other day. "I believe I passed by the wedding at some point."

"Did you?" Jasper spoke this time with a strange expression on the face. She smelled just as sweet as Bella, there was no way he'd miss her... although such was possible since he had been at the front of the chapel at that time and was overwhelmed by Bella's scent, "Are you sure?"

Ruby furrowed her eyebrow. Lord, she was lying through her teeth to these nice people, "Of course... naturally, there would be a large number of people gathering around something special right? And-"

"Never mind," he quickly answered, "I apologize, I didn't mean it that way."

Then her curiosity got the better of her, "Then how did you mean it, Mr. Hale?"

He shifted, avoiding her gaze, "Just that you're so... I would notice you in a crowd."

Ruby flushed, regretting the question already. "I..."

Silence overwhelmed the two of them before Carlisle suddenly spoke up, "Jasper, I'm not sure Ruby here wants to be in the way of you and your wife, after all, Alice is just upstairs right now." He chuckled, "I'm sorry Ruby. Jasper gets carried away, and I would not blame him. I, too, would notice you in a crowd. And to answer your question, Ruby, the recent conflict involve Edward and Bella also involves Jacob, who is in love with Bella... he used to come around every now and then, warning Edward away from her.

"And of course, from their recent wedding, it doesn't seem like we'll be able to come to a truce any time soon," Carlisle shrugged, "However, whenever they are ready to do so, I will be as well."

Ruby smiled, "I see." At the sight of Jasper shifting in his seat, she asked, "Is something wrong?"

"Would you like to join us for dinner?" Jasper asked. There was something in his eyes that made it hard to refuse. In the distance, thunder bolted across the sky. "I imagine the rain would be somewhat of a hassle if it were to start pouring while you're biking back to your hotel."

Ruby blinked, not quite sure what she would say, "You have a point..." She prayed that her stomach wouldn't growl while she was trying to refuse this generous offer, "I couldn't possibly... I should leave before it gets dark."

Jasper stood up after she did, "Allow me to give you a ride-"

"It's quite alright," she replied politely, "It didn't take me that long to bike here... and it's only a thirty-minute ride. If you don't mind me returning later, perhaps we can talk more about Bella and Edward. I'd love to find out more about her..."

Ruby trailed off, a shiver running down her spine. She turned around, finding herself staring at an empty staircase. Jasper raised an eyebrow at her and looked in the direction that she was facing. Ruby shook her head, trying to brush off the feeling, before walking to the doorway while Carlisle went to get her bike. Well, despite her strong desire to eat dinner at the Cullen mansion, it seemed like she won't be mooching tonight. Emmett had gone into the kitchen to clean up their recent party favor. As she was left alone with the blond in the porch, Ruby shifted quietly.

"So you're adopted," she started, "I notice you have somewhat of a Southern drawl."

Jasper blinked before smiling, "I suppose so. I met Carlisle when he was at a conference in Texas and at the time, I was... homeless and he offered to take me in. I was ten at the time."

"So... ten years?" she calculated.

More like one hundred years, he corrected silently before teasing, "So you've done research on all of us, haven't you?"

"Your profiles were kind of hard to dig up, but I wanted to have done my homework before stepping into unknown territory," she confessed shyly. Of course it would be, Carlisle went through a lot of trouble destroying their true records and replacing them with secretive fake ones. He knew that sooner or later someone would have the ability to dig them up had they need them. It seemed like the guy was able to tell the future after all, "When did you meet Alice?"

"She was traveling with Carlisle when we first met," he explained with something of resemblance to a glow, "She's my best friend. So what brings you here? What brings you to a town on a story that's been buried for so many years?"

"Curiosity, I'll try not to become the cat," she answered promptly, smiling when Carlisle emerged from the house. "I should have came with you. She's kind of a handful, isn't she?"

"I guess you can say that," Carlisle chuckled, "Not too bad though."

"Thank you, Dr. Cullen... Carlisle," she grinned, "I guess I'll be seeing you in a couple of days."

Just when she pulled out, a voice called out behind her, such soft tones sending a shiver down her spine yet again. "Be careful."

Ruby glanced behind her. The girl with short black hair, staring at her ominously. Her eyes were like Carlisle's, cold honey. Alice Cullen. She was beautifully pale and petite in her own way, wearing a white nightgown that indicated she has just gotten out of bed. Jasper's gaze was fixed on her figure, his affection displayed openly for those who cared to see. Ruby flushed, mumbling a quick word of gratitude before going off.


	15. Chapter 15

Ruby had promptly thanked the Cullens for their hospitality upon leaving with their side of the story. They were oddly cordial, despite the tense atmosphere that loomed over everyone as they answered her questions. She tried to make the question relevant and to the point. The reminder of the wedding brought mirth to their faces as they talked about Bella, the new addition to their family. Everyone loved her the moment they saw her, especially Edward. She remembered the words exactly.

She actually had trouble leaving the house due to Jasper's insistence that she stay for dinner. Despite how tempting it was, Ruby was quickly stricken by the reminder of the effect of bias in a story due to the journalist's involvement with the story. There were many was to be involved, Douglas had told her, but Ruby was sure that in more ways than one, she has gone way over her head with Jacob and there was no need to do so with the Cullens.

16:49; it had taken her an hour to be done with the interview and roughly thirty minutes to arrive at the mansion. Not bad, she thought for such a good interview. She would be back, she told them, if Bella and Edward came back before she had to leave. She should probably call Douglas about the interview... at least, after she rode her bike back to the hotel. Ruby should probably get a job somewhere, seeing as her funds were already running short. Perhaps, she thought optimistically, she could sell some of her short pieces to a literary magazine...

Her thoughts trailed back to the interview, despite their willingness to review everything, some part of her felt like they were still keeping many things from her. Definitely something about the feud as well as Bella and Edward's relationship... but she would find out sooner or later and then ask them about it.


	16. Chapter 16

"Seriously? It was that easy?" Douglas's voice boomed over the phone. Ruby couldn't resist talking on the phone with him. At least it wasn't such a steep slope that she needed both hands to pedal. "Girl, I don't know what luck you have, but you're damn lucky. I probably underestimated you. You'd think that when it comes to reporters nosing around in the business, they would drive you out of town with a pitchfork instead of handing it to you on a platter. You better check up on some of the validity... and I'll bet you'll have to work for that information on Bella and Edward."

"Well of course I'm going to check up on it some, wait a minute. Douggie, you underestimated me? I'm hurt!" she feigned and after Douglas murmured something about her sucking it up, she continued, "I suppose I will... I want to look more into this story, but you know, this makes it very... call it a woman's intuition, but I can't help but think that I'm not going to like what's in the middle of all of this."

"You're not supposed to," Douglas shook his head, "But it's your job. What are you going to do about this Jacob kid? Because I..." Ruby had already stopped listening. Her chocolate eyes squinted to see clearer the three loan figures approaching her. She whipped her head in the direction of the Cullen mansion to see that it, too, was blocked by three strangers. Great. Of all the bloody days to be possibly raped and killed.

She was blocked now and she didn't know what to do. "Douglas... stop talking. Listen carefully to what I have to tell you. I'm going to hang up right now and call 911. If I don't call you back within the hour, assume that I'm dead and hack into my email and finish the rest of my story."

Douglas didn't even get a word out before she hung up and immediately dialed 911. Her heart was beating rapidly against her chest. Was she seriously going to get raped? This wasn't how she pictured her nineteen-year-old life ending. When their faces became clearer, she realized that she might not be dealing with humans, at least that was what her guts were telling her. Hunger were etched all over their scarred skins and red eyes and something was hiding behind the ominous grin of theirs. Dear god, was she going to be eaten? Of all ways to die, she was going to be made into supper and her brother was going to laugh her to her grave! Maybe she should have listened to him when he told her to go back to college.

Gripping her handlebars tightly, she braced herself while waiting for the rings to pass by. If anything, she could make a run for it. "You've called 911, what's your emergency?"

"I'm being ambushed by six men," she answered quietly and briskly, on the road to and from the Cullen Mansion. As of right now, I cannot find anywhere to go as there are no other paths which would allow me to escape..."

"Ma'am-" The voice was cut off.

"Hello?" Dear god, the police better not have hung up on her.

"Miss Fair?" Charles' drawl answered on the other line. He was calm yet urgent at the same time. Ruby had a sinking feeling that he had an idea of what kind of things these guys were, "Are they doing anything?"

"They're not here yet..." she responded, hearing her own voice shaking, "They're drawing closer... what should I do?"

"Ruby, I'm on my way right now... listen to me carefully, you have to stay calm." Silence took over their conversation for a while before he finally said, "What do they look like?" When she described them, he drew a deep breath before saying, "I'm coming over right now and I'm calling for backup. Find some place to hide."

He hung up. She stared at the LCD screen for a second before her attention returned to the six men closing in on her. On the road ahead of her, behind the men was a forest. She had to give it a try, at least in the forest, she could find a hiding place until Charles came. It was all or nothing, she decided, getting onto her bike after tucking her phone into her bag. She swallowed, taking a deep breath before stepping onto the pedal. The bike zoomed downhill and when she got a closer look at the men, they were a deathly pale and it didn't seem to click to them that she was approaching them until she zoomed passed down.

Ruby's heart raced even faster when she heard a growl behind her. Her eyes closed tightly, realizing that the forest was only meters away from her, but before she knew it, she was on the ground, knocked off her bike and pain permeated all over her body. It was not human, she realized in horror. It wasn't an animal either. Ruby tried to look away, but its clawed hand clamped itself around her chin and held her in place. She screamed, oh she screamed for help but it didn't seem like anything left her at all. It straddled her body until she was unable to breathe and the other men around her stared down at her with hunger.

I can't believe this is happening to me!

When she finally connected her gaze with its red eyes, she was trapped, like a helpless animal trying to fight its way free. Ruby felt her muscles weaken to paralysis and finally, she was slowly losing consciousness. The creature's lips curved up into a grin, revealing sharp canines. Vampire! These people were vampires! Something warm was dripping down her arm, a painful gash. Then she realized that she was bleeding when its red eyes were fixed on her arm.

Before it could dive to kill her, it was suddenly knocked off of her. Everything that happened next happened so quickly that it was all just a flash. The sound of crashing echoed over and over in her ears. She saw four or five big furry creatures, dashing towards her and lounging towards the creature. When she saw up, Ruby felt so dizzy and disoriented. Hunger was finally taking a toll on her. Her arms were out of strength and all of her limbs were aching in pain.

Her sight was fuzzy, at least that was what she hoped. The sight in front of her looked to be a battle. One of the vampires laid on the ground, mangled and bloody and the thought of it made her want to throw up her guts. It took her a while to figure out that the fuzzy creatures in front of her were not bears, but wolves. They were as tall as she was while standing on fours and their growls drew shivers down her spine.

What the hell is going on?

By now the attention was diverted from her. Somehow she felt that these wolves were helping her, but her common sense got the better of her. Without another word, Ruby crawled towards her bike and with all of her strength, hoisted herself up. She shut her eyes tightly when a growl echoed behind her and with all she had left, she pedaled.


	17. Chapter 17

Ruby didn't know when she stopped pedaling or when Charles had found her, only that when she had done so, she was extremely tired. After leaving her to sit shakily in the passenger seat of his sheriff car, he tucked her bike away. Charles Swan sighed as he took one look at her upon getting into the seat. Her expression was blank and it seemed to be her best effort at trying to remain stable. He hadn't expected something like this to happen, at least after the wedding happened.

Her curls were now sticking out of her ponytail, probably from trying to escape the vampires. Charles had called Billy the moment he hung up and immediately the news was passed onto Jacob. That was, he noted, probably the only reason why she was able to escape alive. Damn vampires, so desperate for blood that they would- Charles froze at the thought, reminding himself that his daughter had recently turned into one of them.

"I'm going to take you somewhere safe," he told her reassuringly, not really sure if she could even hear it. "We can check out of your hotel room and you can stay where I'm taking you... Jacob and Billy will take good care of you."

Her eyes lifted a little at Jacob's name and hoarsely the words left her lips, "Are they..."

He knew what she was asking and he didn't know how to answer. Among those realms, he really had no control over it all. A sigh left his lips as the car turned around and he started heading towards town. In thirty minutes he was back to town and he accompanied her upstairs to help her take her clothes down. Ruby stood by the doorway quietly, looking around at everyone carefully as if paranoia has taken over her. Who could be a vampire? Charles wanted to take her into his arms as if she were his daughter, because he, too, had gone through the same problem upon finding out the Cullen's secrets.

When they checked out of the hotel, he asked her if she wanted something to eat for a while, at least to regain her composure. Ruby shook her head, she didn't feel so hungry anymore after what she saw. "Billy has prepared a room for you... I know it's a bit far off," he told her, "but right now it's the safest place I can think of, at least for you to stay away from those... things."

"You know about those things?" she asked, "Charles... why are they here?"

"I wish I could tell you, Ruby," he said, but he couldn't. It was a secret he had to take to his grave and the only way to keep her safe was to take her to the Blacks. Then he remembered: "You do realize this has to be kept a secret."

She was looking outside the window as she whispered softly, "I don't think anyone will believe me."

"It's best that you leave," he instructed matter-of-factly, "First plane-"

"I don't have enough money," she cut him off, "And I have to finish this story."

Charles stopped the car, "Don't have any money? What kind of journalist are you? Risking your life over a damn story?"

"A good one-"

"A stupid one, that's what. Some things aren't worth finding out and most of all, this damn feud should NEVER see the light of day-"

Ruby exhaled, "That's too bad, I've already started. I'm not leaving until I'm done. Even if you kick me out of this town, I'll just camp outside of town until I interview everyone and get to the bottom of this story-"

"Alright, alright," he sighed, "Stubborn as a mule, that's what you are."

His heart lifted at the small smile that has graced itself on her lips. "Thanks."

"I wouldn't exactly call it a compliment," he murmured as he started the car again, "You remind me of my daughter."

By then she pulled out her notepad and Charles snickered, waiting for her to speak. "Bella?"

"This is off the record," he ordered, waiting for her to put away the notepad before starting again, "She's stubborn when she came here and she was stubborn about that Cullen boy."

"Edward?"

"Who else?" Charles scoffed, "I thought she would be happy with Jacob, but she threatened to elope... and what was I to do? Not to mention she was already pregnant with the boy's child."

Pregnant? Then what happened to Jacob? Was that why she chose Edward over him? Was that why Jacob... "Then... Jacob...?"

"She was happy with him too," Charles sighed, "Until Edward came back."

Ruby frowned. "So she just gave Jacob up?"

"The boy didn't leave his room for days when he heard the news," Charles shrugged, "I tried to talk her out of it... but that obviously wasn't possible."

Only when the car slowed to a stop did Ruby realize that she was on the reservations. Billy was waiting at the door, smiling grimly at her as she walked toward him. She greeted him quietly, following him into the house until he asked, "Are you hurt anywhere?"

Ruby glanced at her arm, forgetting about the pain until now, "It's fine."

He led her to the room that she recognized to be next to Jacob's room and inside, it only had a bed and some sheets and pillow. It was spacious and had its own bathroom. Ruby frowned, realizing that this was the master bedroom. When she turned around to look at Billy, he didn't step inside but nodded grimly at her, as though to answer her question quietly. "You may stay here."

"In your room?"

"My old room," he said, "Before my wife died."

"I'm sorry," she apologized, setting her stuff down. Billy nodded again before wheeling away, leaving her to rest in the silence.

Ruby broke down, the fear finally settling in at last. The chills went to her bones and soon, she found it hard to breathe. Only when Jacob's voice was heard, demanding about her safety did she find herself finally able to take a breath. He was asking his father where she was, and after receiving so quiet an answer that she couldn't hear, Jacob's footsteps approached the room. Ruby could only stand there as he walked in, wide-eyed and sweaty. His face had color in it, as though he never fell unconscious due to a fever and he was shirtless.

"Hi," she said quietly. He didn't respond; instead, he took one wide stride to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulder. It was a tight embrace and she thought he was shaking slightly. His earthly scent surrounded her. Jacob smelled like dirt and cinnamon, spicy and salty. His skin was still heated despite the cooling sweat. Only when she started to have difficulties breathing did he release his arms.

"You're okay," he breathed, leaning his forehead against hers.

With her arms wrapped around his torso, she nodded against his shoulders before murmuring, "Just a little scratch."

Jacob jerked back, holding her arms firmly as he demanded, "Where? Did it do anything to you?"

"Nothing, it wasn't able to do anything," she responded, "yet."

"You were really brave," he smiled, caressing her cheek. Without another word, he pulled her into the bathroom, searching for the first aid kit that ended up being found in the cabinet. She sat on the toilet seat as he pressed the alcohol swabs onto her wound. Ruby tried not to wince, but she knew that the expression of pain was not missing from her face.

"I'm sorry." The words made her look at him questioningly and Jacob continued, "for what happened the other day."

"Oh, that," she murmured, remembering the events from her hotel room, "It's fine. You're healthy again, right?"

Jacob chuckled, "I guess so."

"Why did you do that?" she finally asked. The question, she knew, must have been on both of their minds. His because she was waiting for her to ask, and hers because she was waiting to ask it. However, after looking at his expression, Ruby stood corrected by that assumption.

"Do what?" He blinked slowly, confused by what she had just said.

"That," her eyes darted towards the bedroom, hinting at their earlier encounter.

Jacob froze, his expression hesitant for a moment before he finally responded, "I was worried that something had happened to you. And when I saw that you were okay, I felt really relieved."

Ruby nodded, not really buying his answer. The seventeen-year-old returned to his task of bandaging her in silence. He must have been thinking of Bella, she mused. The expression in his eyes had been that of pain, worry, and at the same time, something else. Had Bella gone through the same situation? What relationship did she really have with him, this seventeen-year-old who was one year her junior?


	18. Chapter 18

Hello? How long has it been? Haha, the only reason I remembered this fanfiction account was.. an email was sent to my inbox regarding someone subscribing to my story. So, I'm happy that everyone is still reading this story! Apologies for being so bad at updating...

I hope you all keep reading somehow. I can't promise anything about a sequel or prequel because of school and I just have no inspiration to write whatsoever.. what I dunno.. wherever the wind takes me, I guess. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Jacob isn't mine. Ruby is. The universe of Twilight isn't mine, but the storyline of this fanfiction is. :)

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Jacob rested against his door after finally closing it. He could hear the comforters rustle next door, and he could almost smell her moving around. It has been a while ever since anyone has occupied that room. His mother's death caused so much guilt in his father that had he not begged to stay here, his father would have moved away just to escape the past, just like his sisters. He felt slightly tired, having exhausted himself today with all the running around.

Even though he was no longer part of Sam's pack, he still accompanied Seth on his patrol during the day and the moment he smelled the Newborns stepping into town through the Cullen land, he sent his friends to the pack leader while he darted towards them. His day had been uneventful until he smelled his soul mate's scent. The soft jasmine body shampoo mixed with a little sweat that came from biking from the Cullen mansion? He didn't have time to think about what she must have been doing there, only that he had to save her.

Now that the thought returned to him, he wasn't sure whether or not he should approach her about his suspicions. The last time he had done so, Bella came running back to Edward's arms and he was left in the cold, sitting at the back of the church while they exchanged rings. The sight of her made him feel like he had nothing else to worry about. His soul mate was alright, save a few scratches, and that much he was grateful.

"Jacob," Billy's soft voice murmured from outside, "Come out here to talk."

He obeyed, following his father into the living room until they came to the backyard sliding door. Effortlessly, Billy heaved himself against the wall so Jacob could lift the wheelchair to the back patio. There, the older man sat down before sighing, "She's not leaving, is she?"

Jacob made a pained expression at the thought. "I can't live without her, dad."

"I can tell," Billy nodded. "I've just contacted the elders and as of tomorrow, I will be leaving for the next few days to discuss what is happening as of lately with the council. Even if I wanted to stay here, there is nothing I could do anyway." The older man pressed his lips together in a thin line before saying quietly, "Keep her safe. Take care of yourself, Jacob."

"I know, dad."

Only then did Jacob notice signs of aging on his dad's face. The wrinkles that he had never known before on the face of a man who has lived in the sun his entire life. He had been so healthy and lively, and yet, even after the accident, some miraculous courage had made him live on. Jacob followed his dad inside where they had a small dinner before he finally settled into bed once more.

It was silent next door, he noted, but her scent still filled his nostrils. He wondered how long it would take for him to finally go crazy. He was bound to her forever. She might as well become his wife. He groaned at the thought, feeling heat surge through his skin. He could just feel her writhing beneath him as his arms were wrapped around her cool skin. The baby soft texture would fascinate him even when she was asleep and exhausted after they made love.

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For you smut lovers, I hope that satisfied something. :P See? I'm not just lying about the reason why it's rated mature. Though to be fair, this story contains my first attempt at a lemon.. it may be fail, but please bear with it. I just don't remember where it is in the story (have to read it again..) and actually, quite honestly - it's not really lemon. More like lime? Haha, hints of it but not the full on meal.

I hope you liked it.. Let me know what you think?


	19. Chapter 19

~,~ Update for the wonderful dearies who has reviewed so far. I can't believe I didn't do this sooner..

So thank you, guys! **Wolfasaurus, Chelsea, WinkAtTheSun, MidnightWolf358, Gabs, Zerlina2111, Crystal-Wolf-Guardian-967, Sydney, Lecia, Sydneybeth218, jigokunooujo, SheWolfMedjaiUndertaker**!

I hope you guys like this one.

Should I put a disclaimer? Isn't it enough evidence of my pain that I have to write about someone who doesn't belong to me? T_T

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Her brown eyes bored intensely into his espresso ones, but even then, he was unable to read the expression on her face. The curtain of ebony hair hid all forms of feelings from him and Jacob was going crazy. Her lips moved, but he didn't know what she was saying. The next thing he knew, her body was grinding against his while she straddled him, lips connected with his. He complied, tasting the sweet nectar of her mouth and relishing in the feeling of her softness. It seemed like forever before he needed to take a breath. She felt so good against him that Jacob had to fight back to the desire to physically prove it to her.

He sighed against her neck as she wrapped her arms around him to pull him closer. It felt so real, he thought, it couldn't be a dream anymore. He'd hate himself if it were a dream. His hand glided slowly and hesitantly under her shirt until he touched her stomach, flat, toned, and soft. She pulled away, connecting her eyes with his to make him realize how aroused she was. The glazed expression in those orbs made him shiver. Eying the goosebumps on her skin, he asked softly, "Are you cold?"

She shook her head, curls falling down her shoulders, as she kissed him while tugging on his shirt. He quickly obliged, holding his arms up long enough for the shirt to be removed and thrown to some other corner of the room. Her heated gaze was on him and suddenly for the first time in his life, Jacob felt self-conscious about his body. His fingers reached towards the hem of her shirt and he pulled it up slowly, the side of his hands sliding along her skin as he did so. Her olive skin turned slightly darker, slightly pinker under his examination. She was so perfect.

Jacob held his breath when her two hands took his and pulled it towards her until she rested it on her left breast. "Can you hear it?"

He listened, oh how he listened, but he heard only one beating heart in that room and it was his own. He waited and waited until finally the beating heart slowed and only then did he realize that- "No. I can't hear it."

Something changed. Suddenly Jacob felt very cold, very alone, very... abandoned. He wanted to pull away, but her grasp was iron tight and the nightmare had begun again. She smiled, an eerie smile that seemed almost undead, almost... "Because there is none."

He jerked awake with beads of sweat, his arms flailing at the space next to him only to feel his own cool sheets, lacking of her presence. His eyes immediately adjusted to the darkness, leaving him to realize that he was still alone in the room when his eyes trained on the spot next to him. He closed his eyes, inhaling her scent next door followed by the rustling of sheets. Why must she be connected to his past? Why did thinking about her always brought back the fears that were connected to Bella? Oh fate, cruel, cruel fate.

He woke up the next morning to the sound of her voice talking to someone in the kitchen. When he came to the room, she was standing with her back towards him, in sweats and a t-shirt that resembled one of his. He stood in the kitchen, scratching the back of his head and halfheartedly listening in on her conversation. At least, long enough to realize that she was missing her phone. He was entirely distracted by what was laying before him. Two plates of pancakes, each in stacks of five, accompanied by a cup of milk on each side. Billy had always made breakfast and as they were men, there had never been any need to make it so... extravagant.

Should he wait until she was finished talking? Maybe he should at least step out of the kitchen so she could have some privacy. He turned around, starting to walk towards the living room until the name came to his ears and he literally stopped cold in his tracks.

"You really found it, Jasper?" she gasped, "I was so worried. Thank goodness, did anyone call me? Oh, well, he talked to you too? That's good, I forgot to call him because I was frightened about yesterday. Perhaps I can tell you the next time I visit for an interview or something... Well, thank you for telling him I was alright." A moment of silence. Jacob stood there, shaking in anger and fighting back the urge to jerk the phone out of her hands and throw it in the garbage because a bloodsucker's voice had been heard through it. The control was burning away like oil and heat and he didn't know what to do. Any minute now he might phase and hurt her. Grudgingly, he trotted outside, slamming the door as he did so.

A few minutes later, she called for him to come in to eat breakfast. Jacob did so, silently chewing his food and trying to avoid her gaze. Ruby ate silently as well until after a while, she suddenly said, "Bad night?"

Oh the irony, he mused. If only she knew what a bad night he truly had. "You could say something like that."

"You want to talk about it?" There was genuine concern in her eyes and his anger melted away like butter. "If you feel like I'm invading your home, Jacob, tell me and I'll be out of this door."

He panicked, nearly bolting over the table to catch her hand while he frantically responded: "No, that's not at all the problem." Make something up, make something up! "I'm just tired, that's all." What a lame excuse.

"You do still look a little pale," she scrutinized, "Are you sure you're not sick anymore?"

Better to let her think that he was than let her suspect that something was up. "I think I might be. You know, after yesterday's rain. When I heard that you were hurt, I was at Seth's house and I ran back home..."

"Ah," she blushed, "Thank you."

When she finished, she picked up his plates and walked towards the sink, leaving him to sit there with his glass of milk. Ruby wasn't looking at him, Jacob realized, he was at least safe from her reporter's instinct, whatever it was that Seth had called it. Apparently journalists have a way of observing people. He would have missed it if he wasn't hanging onto every word that she said. "Jacob, I'm going out later."

He didn't miss a beat. "Where?"

"Jasper has my phone. He wanted to drive all the way here, but..." under those words were the implications of the feud, "I didn't want to make him do that so I thought I'd meet him at the beach or something to plan when the next interview would be."

"What interview?" He knew exactly what kind of interview it was, but his questions would delay her, even if only for a while. Jacob knew he was acting like a child, but he didn't give a damn.

"The feud," she answered briskly, eying him warily for any violent reactions.

"I'll go with you," he offered, nearly falling out of his seats.

She blinked, "It's fine, Jacob. I have nothing to do anyway. The beach is just nearby... and Charles said that I would be safe if I were on Quilette lands."

"He said that you'd be safe with me," he corrected, because he had told Charlie to say that. He had to come with her, he had every intention of coming with her, whether or not she wanted him to. "Please, let me go with you."

"Jacob," she sighed, "Don't do this."

"I don't want you to be alone with that guy. Jasper Cullen is ruthless... and there are a lot of things you don't know about the Cullens. They're dangerous," he warned.

Ruby frowned, "Why are you doing this, Jacob? There are many things I don't know about you as well, with you being mysterious all the time."

She was right. Jacob felt the air being knocked out of him as she said so. "You're right." He lowered his head, listening to her footsteps approach him until her toes were in front of him. Her warm hands touched his cheeks as she pulled him up to look at her.

Shakily, she leaned down to kiss his forehead. So softly did her lips descend on his that he wanted to reach out and wrap his arms around her to keep her with him, but he didn't. His arms remained limp where they are, powerless to move just as his feet had been the day Bella walked down that aisle. She pulled away slowly, connecting her gaze with him as she said calmly, "I'll be fine, Jacob. Be good, okay?"

As she biked out of sight, Jacob knew he should just sit here. He knew that he should just walk into the kitchen and enjoy the breakfast she had made for him and wait for her return, but he couldn't. He may have let Bella walk out of his life, but he couldn't do this with her. Not with Ruby, he determined. His feet carried him after her scent and before Jacob knew it, he had lost control of himself.

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Ohhhhhhh DRAMA!

I was a little worried about this chapter, especially if it was moving too fast or something.. It's not moving that fast, right? Girls kiss guys on the forehead all the time, especially after they hugged and she has some feelings for him. XD


	20. Chapter 20

Update~ Enjoy!

Disclaimer: as always.. not mine. :[

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Jasper stopped right before the white line that marked Quilette territory. No doubt he would be ambushed by human-sized wolves if he drove over even a centimeter of that line. He waited quietly, playing with the Blackberry in his hands. He didn't have the heart to tell the poor girl that her Blackberry had been crushed by his car when he came to check on the scene after receiving a call from Charles. Carlisle was angry and Jasper and Emmett almost bolted out of their seats had it not been on his command to stay still. The last thing they needed was another war at the moment. After dinner, Carlisle told him to check the scene again to see if anything was still left for clean up.

When he got there, all he saw were spatters of blood on the floor that would eventually fade with a bit of water. The Blackberry was still working when he was searching around and it was ringing while he was looking for it. Some guy name Douglas spoke on the other line and asked about Ruby and her safety. Jasper reassured him that the girl was fine, though he wasn't too sure if such was even true. After a while, he left the scene, going to the nearest cell phone store to buy the model exactly like hers. And now here she was, standing before him with a confused expression on her face.

"What's this?" she asked, puzzled. Something felt different and the feeling of relief vanished when she realized it wasn't her original phone.

"Your phone," he replied, "I'm sorry about not telling you, but it was broken when I found it, but I assure you that all of the files are on there. I got a guy who knew a guy who knew how to transfer files from phone to phone. I just got a new one for you, same model, I believe."

"You really didn't have to, Jay," she smiled, "Thanks. I could have gotten my brother to get me a new one or something... then again, it has been a while since I've seen my Blackberry without all the scratches. Well, are you going somewhere?"

Jasper scratched his head, searching the area for any signs of wolves. "Not that I can think of, why?"

"I was hoping that if you were free, we could finish the interview or something." She paused, "That is, if Carlisle is free to take on the task."

Jasper shrugged, "I could give him a call in a-" He froze. His expression was entirely rigid with fear and Ruby caught on immediately. Following his gaze, she saw it, the same gigantic furry wolf that had rescued her yesterday. It was growling quietly in front of them and only then did the thought struck her. She stared at the blond man in horror, slowly backing away as the truth seeped into her.

"I'm sorry, Ruby, I'm afraid this plan has to be reconsidered," Jasper said briskly before changing gears and backing off, almost with shame in his voice.

Only when he turned the corner did she recall the wolf's presence. Its eyes burned into her, huffing and panting as it stood as still as it could. Brown espresso eyes, just like Jacob's. Fear was absent from her as she walked towards it. She couldn't understand how easily the thought had eluded her, why he was so sweaty all the time, how he was always half-naked, and Charles's statement about how she would be safe with him. Her hand reached out to touch the soft fur and underneath its pants, she could hear the soft purrs. Did wolves purred, she wondered?

Before she knew it, the wolf escaped her touch and ran off in the opposite direction. She stared at its tail disappearing into the forest. Where was he going? Was she supposed to follow? Never in her life had she felt so lost. The nineteen-year-old frowned, everything was so overwhelming. Jacob? A werewolf? She couldn't imagine the sweet seventeen-year-old whose heart had been broken by Bella Swan being a werewolf. Did that mean that Edward was a vampire, hence the source of the... feud?

Suddenly everything made sense. The feud was the conflict between the vampires and werewolves. She wanted to laugh at how... fictional it all seemed. Somehow she was standing in the middle of the meadow again, her bike against the tree and the soft sunlight against her skin. Everyone had been so secretive to her, as if they were entirely sure that she would never discover the truth. Now that she has, taking on the story has so many more consequences that she wasn't sure if she could handle.

She partially wondered if her boss had any clue of what was going on in this town and if they were sending her there for the dead end. The thought crossed her mind and Ruby came to the deadly realization that she might have to go back to school if she lost this job. Her brother would hold it over her head forever. She couldn't leak this secret to the world, not to mention no one will believe her. And even if they did, they would try to find Jacob and.. Ruby shook her head, reminding herself that she couldn't put herself in the situation in which she would regret leaving Forks.

She didn't hate him for this secret, neither did she feel betrayed. What did she feel towards him? She was unsure to this minute, but all she knew was that with him, she felt safe. There must have been something that he felt for her that she didn't want to face, but now that there was the truth blaring in front of her face... she was going to have to face him sooner or later.

"You're here," Jacob's voice beckoned her attention. She turned around to look at him, a thoughtful expression on his face as he stood there, hesitant to approach. When she didn't respond, he continued, "So I guess this means you've figured this out."

"You bet," came the miserable attempt to be cheerful. He seemed hurt, and at the same time, concerned. All doubts left her mind when she realized that she might have feelings for this seventeen-year-old. How or when it happened didn't seem to register to her, but that she no longer wanted to finish this story because of his well-being. Did he have feelings for her as well? Whenever she would catch one of his glances, they seem so intense that they appear to be gazing into her soul. "Are you going to tell me everything or not?"

She nodded to the spot next to her, and when he sat down, she kept her eyes to the ground as the two of them got used to the silence. He wasn't sure where to start or how to start, telling this complete stranger that he loved everything about his life from past to present. He tensed slightly when her curls touched his bare shoulders and her body neared his until they touched. She leaned against his shoulder, breathing softly the word "Go" and he did.

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Somewhere in the back of my mind while I was writing this, I had wanted it to be a climatic scene in which Ruby is ultimately pissed off at Jacob, but why? She already knew that something fishy was going on and I didn't feel like it was too... in sync with her personality, even if it is a normal reaction to freak out. Besides, it's not really what Jacob needed at the moment, not having someone he loved recoil from his reach because she found out he was a shapeshifter. Ruby has to be better than that. :P

Anyways, I hope you liked it~


	21. Chapter 21

Sorry for taking such a long time in reviewing! I did not realize that so many people were actually still reading my story. xD

I was actually in the middle of revising and editing this piece and well, I guess it's okay to show you guys the rest of this one since my revised copy actually ends a bit differently. Anyway, thank you so much for all the kind reviews!

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They walked back in complete silence. Jacob had been empty of thoughts, having told her everything. His heart felt lighter and he felt freed of Bella, the girl he once loved, and perhaps still loved as a friend. It made him feel foolish to think that he could give his life for her when the girl standing right next to him was his true soul mate. She had listened to every word, silently taking in each word and murmuring soft responses whenever she felt like he needed to hear them.

On the other hand, Ruby's mind had been occupied of thoughts. The entire story, much to her chagrin, was perhaps too much for her to handle. Bella coming to Forks and meeting Edward and how their story progressed... and Jacob's place in this triangle made her feel like an outsider, but the grip of his intertwined fingers with hers made her think otherwise. Now all pieces of the puzzle fell together, why Jasper was so jittery around her and why Billy was so hesitant to let her stay. Ruby suddenly found herself in the middle of the story when she was once looking in from the outside.

How was she going to write the story now? That question didn't occupy her mind. What occupied her mind was how she would fit in Jacob's life. He had one year of school left and she had no hope of finishing this story to save her career except to ruin his life. All that was left was... No, she didn't want to do that. Jacob, having sensed her distress, looked over and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I think so," she said, "Thanks for pushing my bike back."

"Not a problem," he shrugged.

"You know," she hummed, trying to lighten up the tension, "This half naked thing isn't going to work." He raised an eyebrow and she continued, "One of these days, you're going to meet a girl who has randomly stumbled upon this town and she's going to see your fantastic chest and fall heads over heels with you."

A grin broke across his face, "Oh yea? That sounds like a pretty good deal."

"I imagine it is so for you, but I do recall you saying something about being devoted to some person... and I'm not sure she'd be happy if you had a person who was crazy about your fantastic chest and would be hanging around you all the time, you know." Ruby looked up at the sky in deep contemplation, "It's not like that other person to whom you are devoted walks around half naked. How would you feel if she did that?"

Jacob chuckled before sobering and responding gravely, "Not good at all."

"And I mean, how are you going to have any resemblances of a decent future if all you can't afford to buy a simple shirt? What is it? You spend it on your cars?" she smirked.

He laughed this time, drawing mirth to her eyes, "It's okay. I've saved up enough for both of us, working in that garage." She stopped suddenly, causing Jacob to stop laughing. Us. Both of us. Did he really say that? Did he really intend for her to stay in his life after all of this was over? "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," she smiled, a hollow smile, at that, but Jacob didn't ask. He knew that she wasn't going to tell him.

Before they had reached his house, Jacob already smelled it. It was standing right at his front door and it made him curious as to how Sam and the others weren't already there. Surely just because he wasn't in the pack meant that he was food to the bloodsuckers? When he neared the house, his grip on Ruby's hand tightened so hard that she quietly pulled away, much to his chagrin, and didn't hold his hand again for the rest of the time. When its blond hair came into view, he pulled her towards him with one hand while the other one gripped her bike and pulled it towards the forest.

"Jacob, what are you doing?" she demanded, trying to pull away from him.

"The bloodsucker is here," he responded, eying the front door. "It's him."

"Him?" She peeked over the bush and when she saw it, the words left her mouth before he was even prepared for it, "Dr. Cullen? Is that you?"

He whipped around quickly, still not seeing her, fangs extended and eyes hardened, having turned into someone she didn't even know. Ruby's heart quickened and out of the corner of her eyes, she could see Jacob shaking. His teeth were bared in such a ferocious manner that it scared her. Only when he growled dangerously did she realize that he was about to phase. She was scared, oh how scared she was to have lost her mind completely when she launched herself to him. Jacob barely retained his grip on reality when he felt her body against his. Shame filtered through him, leaving him feeling useless and angry at himself.

Carlisle found them standing in the bushes, and he couldn't understand the scene in front of him. Raw sobs left the seventeen-year-old's lips while he wrapped his arm around the girl next to him. Her face was hidden in his shoulders while her arms were tight around his torso. The older man could only guess that the inaudible words she was whispering to the younger teen were that of comfort, as his breathing slowed down to a more calming pace. The intimacy made him want to blush, and such was not easy for centuries-old Carlisle Cullen. The youngster's brown eyes were fixed on him, as if prepared to kill him if anything were to happen.

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What did you think?

I tried to embody all the pent up passion between the two, passion that was both known and unknown, including the compassion that Ruby feels for Jacob in spite of knowing about his new identity. It's supposed to be a clumsy scene but it was trying to show the trust that she has for Jacob when it comes to him caring for her.

I hope you liked it!


	22. Chapter 22

o.o I had no idea that this story was so popular.. Well, I guess before I upload my revised copy, I'll finish uploading this story. And then when you guys read the revised copy, you guys can tell me which one you like better.

Hm... lime alert? Enjoy!

Thanks for the reviews, everyone!

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"I've already discussed this with Billy and Sam. You may already be able to guess what's happening," Carlisle started as he sat down uncomfortably on the couch. Everyone in that room knew the name of the person that didn't leave Carlisle's lips. The sun was setting outside and the house was starting to get colder. From Jacob's painful expression, she knew what was happening. "She's pregnant."

"So soon?" The words had already left her lips before she could take them back. Too late, she cursed, watching as Jacob left the room for the kitchen. She could only turn back to Carlisle, who had already acknowledged Jacob's departure with a nod.

When it was just the two of them, Carlisle slid closer and said, "They had been together long before their wedding. I'm sorry that you're here at this time."

"What does her being pregnant have to do with anything?" She frowned.

"Victoria, a vampire who has been here long before, is coming back with newborns because of Bella's child, who is going to be a hybrid between vampire and human," he explained, "In this world, it's not good to be a hybrid of anything. I came here to tell you two to take cover. My family and I are trying to make a plan."

"A plan?" she raised an eyebrow.

"I've already spoken to the other shapeshifters," he started. "We do not have much time before Victoria's newborns arrive, but she is somewhere nearby. If we find her before they come, we can kill her and break them out of her control." He paused before eying the kitchen, "I wasn't going to come over here until I had been made aware of the fact that Jacob is no longer a part of Sam's pack."

Ruby nodded, "What is going to happen now?"

"My sons and I will try to find Victoria and kill her. Sam Uley and his pack has agreed to help me. You are going to stay here. It is hard to say, but ever since your last attack, I do believe that Victoria has you on her radar because of your resemblance to Bella-"

"She is nothing like her!" Jacob shouted, having come out of the kitchen. Ruby stood up immediately, making her way to him while he was striding toward the vampire sitting on his couch. She met him halfway, wrapping her arms around him in an effort to calm her down. "Don't stop me, damnit. It's all his fault-"

"It was Bella's choice," Carlisle explained calmly, "I just came here to tell you that Leah Clearwater and her brother will be here as extra security while the other pack comes with us."

"Jacob," Ruby spoke as he opened his mouth to object. "Calm down-"

"How can I believe you? How can I believe that you won't hurt them!" he demanded. "How do I know that this isn't just a trap?"

"Because I spoke to Billy yesterday before he left for the council. It's a temporary truce between us until Victoria is taken care of," Carlisle nodded and continued, "I will personally make sure of that."

Without another word, he left.

Ruby waited until Jacob slowed his breathing to a more even pace before she murmured quietly, "I'll go get you some water." Before he could respond, she started of towards the kitchen. As she made her way towards the kitchen, she fought the desire to just run out of the house. Perhaps this has been too much information for her to process in one day. First the truth about Jacob and the story behind Bella and Edward, now that some vampires were out to destroy the peace again. How did she end up in this mess?

She was so deep in thought that she hadn't even felt his heat as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulder. Jacob buried his head into her shoulder and cried, "I'm sorry. I almost hurt you. I don't know what I would do if anything had happened to you. I would.."

"I didn't want anything bad to happen," she allowed her hands to rest on his, "I didn't want you to get hurt either." She allowed herself to rest against his chest and let out a soft sigh as his lips touched her neck. His lips nipped and kissed her lips and they traveled up her neck to her jaw, to her ears, to her cheeks until she turned around in his arms. She clung to him as his lips descended upon hers. "Jacob... Jacob..."

"Please don't stop me..." he whispered, pulling her closer to him. Even though she was saying no, she clung to him so desperately. Her skin against his and lips grinding against his own.

"Jacob..." she sighed against his lips. Her body melted against his and suddenly it was just as he had dreamed. The wolf partially anticipated a monster to reveal its ugly and take her away from him. All he knew was that he had to claimer her. He had to make her his before-

The seventeen-year-old stopped in shock, unable to believe what he was doing. He stopped, releasing his grip from her waist and stepping away from her, from her embrace, from her shocked and hurt expression. "I'm sorry..." he apologized.

"Why?" she breathed, and somehow a look of realization passed her face before she turned away from him and bitterly the words left her lips, "Of course..."

The subject hung in the tense atmosphere between them until the rain started outside. It was raining an awful lot, Ruby decided when she looked outside. She walked to the living room as Jacob left the kitchen for his own room. Right then it seemed the best thing for them not to be in the same room. Her eyes closed as the rainy breeze blue against her face. Ruby wondered if Billy had this problem with his indecisive son before. Had he always been this bad? She chuckled. Probably. Of all the people that she could fall in love with, be it a werewolf or a seventeen-year-old, why did it have to be him?

She woke up later, and Jacob was there, with his back facing her. She sat up quietly, waiting for him to say something, but nothing needed to be said. She should be mad, she reminded herself. She should be furious and angry and humiliated because he had walked out on her and because he was still in love with Bella, but somehow she found herself reaching out to him. Oh how ironic the situation. One day she was a complete stranger to this boy, the next, completely head over heels with him.

"Don't sleep out here," Jacob uttered. Only when Ruby stood up after him did she see his extended hand. Jacob was looking away from her, looking somewhat pink in the face. A smile crept its way to her lips when she realized that he may be blushing. Her hand slipped into his warm one and she followed him into his room.

His arms snaked around her when they both settled into bed. She shouldn't be this soft toward him, Douglas would tell her, but she was his soul mate, as he called it. Forever and a day, till sickness and health, he promised. She blushed when he said that; no one has ever dare uttered such words to her, much less this seventeen-year-old who could cause shivers to run down her spine with such simple words. His chin rested on her head as she nestled in his arms thinking, I could get used to this.

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No lime here. I know there's this thing about him being underaged, but let's face it.. he's not THAT underage, especially with that body, right?


	23. Chapter 23

Hi guys, *waves*

It's been a while.

I've been doing a lot of thinking and actually, a lot of writing. I've decided to revise this entire story. I dunno, make the scenes more vivid, have it make more sense and whatnot. On the other hand, I hate leaving anything unfinished, so I figured I will finish uploading this - I THINK I said this before... but I don't know? Anyway, I'll continue to update this when I can and eventually I'll start uploading the other one too so you guys can compare.

**Disclaimer: Jacob, Twilight, and all that stuff - not mine.**

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Douglas eyed the phone with distaste. He wondered if she changed her number or something, but that couldn't be so because there was no annoying voice announcing that she had whenever he called her phone. He has called her at least twice in the last minute and she has not picked up at all. That girl was going to answer to one angry guy if she ever had the nerve to call him again.

He had good news to tell her and here she was, not picking up his calls. Marcus had proposed to him and they spent two days in the bedroom and didn't leave even once. He tapped his foot impatiently, staring at the blinking cursor on the computer screen. It almost seemed as though every time he called her, it would usually coincide with whenever he had a writer's block. What could someone say about a person deserting the army and coming back? Just call him a hero and get on with it. Obviously America wants more to be said on the subject, but Douglas just didn't give a damn.

"Hello?" Did she sound sleepy or was that just him?

"Ruby Fair, where the hell have you been?" he demanded quite harshly, he hoped.

"Douglas? Oh I'm so sorry, I meant to call you yesterday, but I guess... I got kind of occupied," she answered, "I'm staying over at Jacob's house right now."

Then he stopped. Alright, he decided, she was forgiven. "What? Spill."

"Not much to spill. I ran out of money to stay in the hotel and Billy offered me a place to stay," she responded. "And I have something else to talk to you about..."

"Well?"

"'I've submitted my resignation," she decided.

"What are you talking about? Didn't you say a few days ago that you've got something good going on?" he frowned, furrowing his eyebrows. He never knew the girl to be like this. She sounded so sad and helpless that he just wanted to order a ticket to Washington to see her. "Honey, what's wrong? Do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't know what to do anymore, Douglas... I just... I think I might talk to my brother again," she sighed, "He's never going to let me live this down."

"Alright, you know what you need to do right now? You have to tell me everything, like, right now. When I say go, don't hesitate to start. At all. Go." Douglas waited and she spilled.

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Short chapter, I know... but there will be more soon!

By the way, thank you for those of you who have reviewed. You guys probably don't think I know this or pay attention, but I do. xD In fact, whenever I get a review, I remember to update.


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